Eternal Fall
by SiriusReborn
Summary: Sephiroth's life from the very beginning. Rated for sexual situations, abuse, disturbing imagery.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, nor any of the characters in it. I do not make any money from this story.  
Final Fantasy is the property of Square Enix.

WARNING: This story will contain violence, sexual situations (M/M, M/F).

**Eternal Fall: part I: Eden**

Footprints in the snow led him to the scene before him. People were moving around, trying to look busy as he approached. Not that he would do anything anyway. He wasn't an assassin today. Today he was just a supervisor. Someone they kept around in case something went wrong. But what could possibly go wrong when it came to pulling frozen corpses out of the snow? He slowly exhaled, watching his breath form before him like a curling dragon before it faded in to the air.

"Sir!" someone called to him. "Ready to proceed, sir! I was told to escort you to the site. If you'll follow me."

He nodded, and followed the young man to this supposedly important spot where he was to insure that nothing went wrong. He groaned inwardly, hating the cold. But he hated the fact that he had to be here even more. He tightened the hood of his black jacket and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to keep in whatever warmth he could. The young man led him to a small building, and then ran off to the "crash site." He walked into the building, and immediately felt the warmth hit his body.

"Well, well, well," said an older man softly. "I knew they couldn't help but send the Department of Administrative Research for this mission. They probably mean for you to shoot the witnesses after they help pull the body out."

The older man who addressed him wore a thick white sweater, and his dark hair and mustache looked as though they had tiny ice crystals forming. Sighing, the young man said nothing at first. He pulled off his black jacket and hung it on a rack. He turned to the older man who spoke, running his fingers through his stylish short black hair. He focused his deep red eyes on the man for a moment.

"As you probably already know I've been sent to be your new bodyguard, Dr. Gast," he said finally. "I'll be in charge of your security, as well as the security of Dr. Hojo."

Dr. Gast looked at the young man before him. Every time he saw someone from this young man's department, he found himself shocked. These so-called members of the Department of Administrative Research were actually ShinRa's special forces. In other words, highly skilled assassins. They called themselves the Turks, and this clean-cut, upright, handsome young man before him was probably the most deadly person in the area.

"Red eyes... the color of blood," Dr. Gast said, looking away from the young man and glancing back at the monitors he was previously looking at. "You must be Vincent Valentine."

"Yes."

"And I suppose you want to know why we need bodyguards for a mission as simple as digging up a body from the ground?"

"You read my mind."

Dr. Gast looked troubled for a moment, but Vincent kept his icy red eyes on him without moving a muscle.

"Well, do you want to look at the monitor or would you rather go freeze out there?" Dr. Gast asked, not looking away from his screen.

Without responding, Vincent walked over to the monitor and watched as the men outside worked the heavy equipment.

"All of this for one body?" Vincent muttered softly. "I was led to believe that we were recovering someone of great importance. But those men look like they are mining for something."

Dr. Gast didn't speak as they watched the machine bring up the body, which was frozen inside of some kind of shiny substance. It didn't look like ice, but it was transparent. Vincent narrowed his eyes at the screen. Something wasn't right with this picture. Whatever they were pulling from the ground was much to big to be a human body.

"I can see you're a quiet man, Vincent," Dr. Gast said, not looking at him. "The kind of man that can keep a secret."

Vincent didn't move his eyes from the screen. "Secret...?" He repeated softly.

"Yes," came a sly voice from behind him. "A secret. I hear the Turks are good with secrets. Who knows how many people you've assassinated, Mr. Valentine. You're probably better with secrets than anyone."

Vincent turned to see Dr. Hojo behind him. His long, dark hair was tied back in a ponytail. Unlike Dr. Gast, Hojo's eyes were positively dark and suspicious... even evil. Vincent knew those eyes. So many people in the Turks had those eyes. Vincent, on the other hand, was one of the few Turks who had the eyes of complete cold indifference. It made his victims truly question why they were dying. But they always knew who was killing them. People heard of Vincent Valentine, but they always assumed he was just another character in a story meant to scare youth out of committing crimes against the ShinRa government.

"Mr. Valentine," Dr. Hojo said slyly as he stepped forward. "I know you are a very loyal man. That is why you, specifically, were sent to us. If what you see here was to be noted elsewhere... anywhere... we would have to kill the person who even thought it wise to touch the subject. I would hate to see the color of your eyes mirrored anywhere else on that body of yours. Do you understand?"

"For goodness sakes, Hojo," Dr. Gast interrupted. "Stop threatening the man. You know Vincent is trustworthy. Besides, he'd kill you five times before you hit the ground."

Vincent only stood there, being one of few words. "I understand your request," he said to Hojo.

Hojo smiled at him slyly once more and nodded. "Good... good." He motioned to the door. "You should go to the crash site, Mr. Valentine. You should be honored to be present at the Early stages of the Jenova Project."

Vincent's eyes widened. "The... Jenova Project? I was led to believe it was just a--"

"It's more than just a rumor, Mr. Valentine," Hojo said, approaching the door. "We've found the body of one of the Cetra Ancients. They did indeed exist, and now we have the body of one. Imagine the power that will come from studying her."

Vincent blinked and followed Hojo outside. He ran his hand through his short dark hair again, wishing it were long so that he could block out the cold. They walked for a while in the snow before the reached a point were men scurried about here and there. A few men were throwing up not far from them.

"Some of these men have been digging in this area for too long," Hojo explained. "Jenova is encased in a mass of radioactive solid mako. Some of the men broke pieces of it and got careless when coming into contact with it."

Suddenly a scream erupted through the air.

"Back! Get back!" someone yelled. "Fall back!"

Vincent stood there as men whizzed past him, running from the center of the site.

"It's still alive!" one of the men screamed.

Another scream pierced the air, but this time it wasn't human. It rolled and wavered and rose and fell. It made them all freeze in fear. It sounded like a banshee being strangled slowly. Everyone covered their ears to block out the terrifying sound. Vincent looked up, his hands over his ears, and he watched as the block of Mako started to break. A disgusting hand rose slowly from it as if it wanted to grasp the sky.

And then the hand fell, and the scream ceased.

"It's not dead," Hojo said, taking his hands away from his ears. "We must work quickly to get it back for study. I want Jenova shipped to Nibelheim as quickly as possible."

Vincent stood there in disbelief, though his features remained icy. He found himself slowly approaching the block of ice-like Mako. He looked down at the hideous blood and vein-covered creature before him. He didn't even realize it when his hand raised to touch his gun, Quicksilver. He blinked suddenly and lowered his hand. He turned and walked away, realizing that something inside of him thought it best if Jenova never left this cold place alive.

* * *

Vincent stood in front of the ShinRa mansion in the little town of Nibelheim. He yawned softly, thinking it disappointing that nothing ever happened in the quiet little town. He straightened his tie and silently wished something more comfortable would magically replace his blue suit. He leaned against the gate and gently blew his hair away from his eyes. 

"You don't look very alert," a woman's voice whispered in his ear from the other side of the gate. "Someone could easily sneak in here and try to kill us all."

Vincent smiled to himself and turned around to face Dr. Lucrecia Crescent. "Then let them come. They would not lay so much as a finger on you, but I cannot say I would be as attentive to everyone else's needs."

She smiled sweetly at him, her beautiful jade eyes sparkling and her long brown hair flowing in the wind. Vincent loved it when she actually let her hair down. Lucrecia was the reason he never complained about his duties here. She signed on to the Jenova Project not long after Jenova was found, and Vincent had to protect her as well as Dr. Gast and Dr. Hojo.

"Vincent," she said, leaning in close, only the bars of the gate keeping them apart. "Why don't you smile more?"

"You see me smile all the time."

"But only with me. You don't smile with anyone else."

"You've been spying on me," he smiled warmly. Then he thought about her question. "I have often wondered what it would be like to be able to be as optimistic as you are when it comes to life. I have little faith in the nature of humans, Lucrecia."

"Is that why you became a Turk...? To kill the unworthy?"

He looked at her for a while. "I hadn't thought of it like that," he said softly, leaning his forehead against the bars.

She tilted her head and let her eyes wander over his handsome face for a while. Vincent felt her eyes on him and met her gaze.

"Lucrecia, we haven't spoken about... the other night," he said, his gaze piercing her. "I am sorry if you found me... imposing but--"

She laughed suddenly at his words, though there was slight nervousness in it. "Imposing? Oh Vincent, only you could think of the word 'imposing' to describe it."

"I'm supposed to be protecting you," he said softly. "If anyone found out, I would be removed from this mission."

"No one will find out, Vincent. And I regret nothing." She rose her hand slowly and brushed her fingertips against his lips. "I'm glad you 'imposed' that night. No one has ever 'imposed' on me so fully." She lowered her voice, as if she thought the air might carry it to someone else's ears. "I never knew my body could feel that way. I never knew anyone could reach so deep into my body..."

Vincent stared at her for a moment, then a smile crossed his lips. "Why must you speak to me like that when the only thing I can do is stand here and play images over and over in my mind?"

"Good," she smiled. "At least I know you'll be thinking about me."

"Yes, and now I threaten to poke the eyes of small children out if they are level with my waist and manage to pass too close in front of me."

Lucrecia suddenly laughed at his dirty little joke, and he smiled as she held herself, nearly falling to the ground with giggles.

"Lucrecia," Dr. Gast called from the front door of the mansion. "Hojo would like a word with you."

Vincent immediately straightened and Lucrecia composed herself. She winked at him before heading from the mansion. Vincent looked up to the windows of the second floor, and to his surprise he saw Hojo, glaring at him with anger in his evil eyes.

* * *

"He's gone mad this time," Dr. Gast murmured to Lucrecia as they headed for the laboratory in the basement. "He wants to move on to human subjects before we've even begun to understand enough." 

"Human subjects?!" she gasped. "Now? So soon?"

"Yes," he said, stopping on the steps for a moment as he rubbed his mustache. "And, Lucrecia..." he sighed deeply, searching for the words. "I don't think Jenova is a Cetra. We've got it all wrong. I don't know what the ShinRa government has us studying, but it isn't a Cetra."

"What would make you think that? She was in the location that we gathered so much evidence on."

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and continued walking down the steps. She blinked curiously and followed behind him.

"As I was saying," he continued, avoiding the subject, "Hojo wants to move on to human experiments. And you and I both know how he treats his subjects."

Lucrecia only nodded as the stepped into the laboratory. Dr. Gast nodded to Hojo, then made his way back up the stairs.

"Ah, Lucrecia," Hojo smirked. "I want to talk to you about our experiments. I think we should move things to a new level."

"Human subjects?" Lucrecia asked.

"Yes, I guessed he would tell you on the way here."

Lucrecia shifted from foot to foot. She didn't tell Dr. Gast, but the Jenova Project, even in its early stages, meant a lot to her. And she felt adoration for Hojo... as though she were a schoolgirl with a crush. Whenever she was with Vincent it would disappear and be forgotten, of course. But there were times when she truly wondered about her future working with Hojo.

"These will be willing test subjects, right?" she asked.

"But of course, my dear!" he said with a grin.

She looked at the floor, thinking. She had to admit that she had thought a great deal about human test subjects. She wondered what kinds of abilities one would gain from having Jenova cells implanted in them. From what the could tell, Jenova had a long life-span, and unimaginable strength.

"I would like you to see something," Hojo said lowly as he pointed to a monitor.

Lucrecia smiled and walked over to it, but her smile immediately left her when she saw what was on the screen. She was looking at several security camera images, and she could make out at least five snipers aimed at Vincent. She looked at Hojo with disbelieving eyes.

"If I ever see you so much as glancing at him improperly," Hojo said angrily, "l'll see that he is killed and that you are expelled from ever researching again. Is that understood?"

"How dare you!" she hissed at him. "How dare you try and control me like one of your experiments!"

"Oh my dear Lucrecia," he grinned. "I know how much your work means to you, and I know how much it would crush you to lose it. I also know that you would never be a scientist again if you were expelled from this project. And since you know too much, I know that you would be killed. And so would Mr. Valentine, just to be safe. And don't think I've forgotten about your research about the Omega Weapon and Chaos!"

Lucrecia looked at the cameras again, and watched as Vincent paced back and forth, not knowing of the danger that was right under his nose in this little town. If only he knew that his own colleagues, five Turks, were pointing guns at him.

* * *

_A month later..._

* * *

Vincent approached the entrance to the small town after seeing Dr. Gast off. Gast said he was heading off to meet someone close to him, and that was all. Vincent almost felt curious about it, but he shrugged it off. He slowly walked down the path and noticed two figures not far from him. Suddenly he realized it was Lucrecia and Hojo... in a more than passionate embrace. 

Vincent was floored. He stood out of view with wide, red eyes and shook his head slightly. Just the other night he had been with her. How could this happen? He had never felt more love for anyone in his entire existence. The only one who could melt his icy exterior was in the arms of someone who froze him more than anyone. Vincent stepped back, as if it would erase the scene before him. He remembered her cheerful smiles and her soft embrace and her lips on his skin.

Her smile...

If she's happy... it's okay…. It's okay...

He backed into the shadows and stared at the ground, his heart not fully understanding how someone as cold as himself could feel this much pain. He never knew that Lucrecia's mind was on him the whole time as Hojo forced her into that embrace during one of her weakest moments….

* * *

"NO! Vincent stop!" Lucrecia yelled, trying to pull him back. 

"Step away from me!" Vincent snapped, turning around to look at her. "Walk the other way Lucrecia! I accepted the fact that you became pregnant by him. But I will not stand here and watch while you inject yourself and your unborn child with Jenova cells. You are not some walking experiment that I can be indifferent about!" He grabbed Quicksilver and thrust it into her hands. "I will not kill him, only because I want to spare your feelings. But I must discuss this with him."

And then Vincent stormed down to the lab. Hojo didn't seem surprised when he burst inside.

"Mr. Valentine, what can I do for you?" he asked calmly.

"You will cease any talk about using Lucrecia as a test subject. I will not allow her to be another one of your disgusting experiments."

"Mr. Valentine, I think you are mistaken about what is happening here."

"I know everything, Hojo. Surely the ShinRa government wouldn't allow something like this to--"

"The ShinRa government authorized it behind closed doors!"

"Impossible!"

"It seems you have trouble with secrets after all, Mr. Valentine," Hojo said, moving over to his desk. "Oh, and about Lucrecia's child…. I restrained her there on that table... and fucked her raw while she screamed in torment."

Something snapped in Vincent and he reached for Quicksilver... but it was no longer there to protect him. Hojo reached into his desk quickly, and a shot rang out through the air, becoming muffled long before it made it upstairs to the rest of the mansion. Vincent looked down at his suit, which was now becoming drenched with his own blood. He slowly sank to the ground.

_So this is what it's like?_ he thought. _This is what I made people feel..._

He felt his body growing cold, and he soon felt the hard lab floor beneath him.

Lucrecia...

* * *

Hojo was present in the operating room of the ShinRa headquarters private hospital. He saw to it that Lucrecia was given no drugs to lessen her pain. Her tears didn't phase him at all, and her screams had no affect. She wanted some tenderness from someone... anyone. Her mind wandered slowly to Vincent, and she could see his intense red eyes and his handsome features in her most pleasant thoughts. She knew that if he were there with her, he'd hold her hand and smile down at her. He would be so tender and sweet to her. He would show his love for her. 

But he wasn't there. And deep down she knew he would never be there.

She pushed and pushed as the tears ran from her eyes. Hojo stood coldly in the background. After hours upon hours of labor, the child finally arrived. She heard the doctor smack the child's bottom, and she heard the clear cries.

"A boy," one of the doctors said.

Lucrecia rested her body for a moment as they cleaned the baby off. She just wanted to hold him in her arms and feel the warmth that had been denied to her. Hojo didn't love her, and Vincent was missing. If she said anything Hojo would kill the baby. But she wanted to see her baby boy. Deep down she hoped that he would look like Vincent... and she wished even more that it was Vincent's baby.

"Let me see him," she whispered softly. "Let me see him..."

Hojo approached her bed and looked down at her. "I'm sorry, my dear. But my son will be coming with me immediately. After all, his records do state that the mother wanted no affiliation with the child, and that she was nothing more than a willing test subject."

The doctors, obviously from the corrupt ShinRa government, finished cleaning the baby and took him from the room.

"No..." she cried, trying to sit up as tears spilled from her eyes. "No! My baby! That's my baby!" she screamed as her little boy was taken away. "Give him back to me! He's all I have left! GIVE ME BACK MY CHILD! I didn't even get to see him! PLEASE!"

She felt strong arms holding her down, and a needle was jammed into her arm.

"NO! No... no! No... my baby. Let me see him just once... Let me see my baby boy... Give him back to me... Give him... back..."

Everything became dark. The other doctors left, and Hojo smirked down at her as her eyes rolled back and closed.

"You were the garden of Eden for him, my dear. You were his paradise. But I'm sorry to inform you that your child will never know innocence. I have seen to it that his fall will begin now."

"What name shall we put on the baby's certificate?" asked one of the doctors behind him.

Hojo smirked to himself. He had already chosen a name for his child. The baby would be named after the cosmic and spiritual elements of a god in all his glory.

"Sephiroth. His name is Sephiroth..."

---To Be Continued---

(Hi guys! I'm rewriting this and reposting it from a site I had it on a LONG time ago. Bare with me!)


	2. Toy Soldier

Warning: Child abuse, suggested rape, violence

**Eternal Fall: part II: Toy Soldier**

The nurse stared at the child for a long, long while. She couldn't help but stare. There was something about the baby that made him so interesting. He was a drooling, giggling mass of baby fat... like any other baby. But his green eyes were so deep and sparkling, as if he were truly something different... something special. He squirmed this way and that, and when she leaned close, he tried to grab at her hair playfully. She smiled and ran her figures through his hair gently. It was so soft, and it was silver. Bright green eyes, and silver hair... so odd. He smiled up at her and giggled again.

The nurses were happy to see him smiling. Until recently he had always been sick. They thought the child wouldn't make it for more than a few months. Oddly enough, they found they had to cure him much the same way they treated the men of SOLDIER after their Mako enhancement treatments. It made them so strong, but they usually got so sick at first. Recently the ShinRa government had begun to implant Jenova cells into new members of the highest military branch, which were the First Class members of SOLIDER. It made them stronger... gave them more speed. It made them even stronger than the original Mako radiation treatments did, even though the Mako treatments were still being used before Jenova was. Of course, while the general public knew about the Mako, hardly anyone outside of the ShinRa government knew about Jenova.

Why was this little baby showing signs of Jenova treatment? They never did figure it out. The important thing was that he was okay.

The nurse gently touched the baby's nose, and he grabbed her finger playfully.

"I have to go now Sephy. I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a smile.

But he stared at her and continued to hold her finger. He looked like he would be lonely without anyone there... even at his young age. She apologized softly and started to walk away. But he held her finger there, squeezing. She winced suddenly, feeling as though her finger was being crushed. She tried to tug her hand away, but she only succeeded in shifting the baby's position. He only smiled and giggled innocently.

"Ouch..." she winced. "Let go, Sephy. Let go of my finger."

She cried out softly as she heard a small snap, and the baby finally let her go and laughed. He thought they were playing a game of some kind. He didn't know he was hurting her. He blinked and stopped giggling when he saw her hurry off. A rosy color came to his pale cheeks as he felt a bit of distress in his young heart as the woman left him there. He was not yet old enough to know that it was loneliness he felt. He wasn't old enough to realize that he was never hugged or kissed or held. He didn't know his mother was gone forever... or that his father was the man who poked and prodded at him and made him shriek in pain.

* * *

When Sephiroth was a year old, he found himself on an operating table. He looked with curious green eyes at Dr. Hojo.

"Sit here and don't make a sound," Hojo hissed.

Sephiroth sat there, being a little afraid of the doctor, who didn't seem to like him for some reason.

"Docta docta!" Sephiroth said, shivering in the cold room.

"I said shut up!" Hojo yelled.

Hojo stormed out of the room and left Sephiroth sitting there shivering.

"Docta!" called the child. "Docta..."

A red light over the door started to blink, and he watched it with a mix of interest and fear. A wall of glass slowly lowered around his operating table, and he knocked it gently with his hands as it lowered all the way to the floor, sealing him inside. "Docta?" He knocked gently again. He looked up when he felt something hit him... like a warm drop of rain. Then another... then another. Suddenly, it started to burn him. He screamed and put his hands over his face. The burning shower started to come down heavily, and his little hands hit the glass over and over. "NO!" he shrieked. "Owie!!!!" The green shower fell hard on him, and he curled up into a ball and cried and screamed and shook. "Ow... Owie..."

When Sephiroth woke up he felt his entire body aching and burning. He started to cry, but there was no one there to help him. He sat up, trembling, hoping to see someone who would comfort him, but there was nothing but silence. He felt something feathery hit his cheeks and he touched them gently. He held silvery strands in his hand and blinked at them curiously. He dropped them to the floor, only to feel more fall against his cheeks. It took him a good deal of time before he realized the strands were coming from his own head. He soon lost interest when he realized how queasy his stomach was. To him, an aching tummy probably meant that he needed food. So he waited... and waited... and waited. But no one came to him... and he lie there cold, hungry, and suffering until the next day. And even then, the first thing he got was a slap across the face from Hojo for crying.

* * *

At age two, Sephiroth looked down from the window at the ShinRa mansion and caught a glimpse of young boys and girls playing in the dirt road. He looked to his nanny and pointed down at them. He wanted to go outside and meet them. The only time he saw other children was when the important men and women of the ShinRa government brought their children to the mansion. And even then he wasn't allowed much time to play. For some reason the adults gathered around him and stared and questioned. But he didn't know why, and he didn't realize that he was important to them. Once in a while one of the adults would find him cute, and they would hug him tightly. That was why he looked forward to them coming. He wanted to see other children, and he wanted to be hugged. The doctors and nurses here didn't so much as pat him on the back. He would sit and endure the Mako radiation treatments every few months, feeling it burn him as it showered down on him. But all he could hope for after that was not getting slapped as long as he didn't cry out. And sometimes Hojo seemed to slap him anyway.

His nanny simply shook her head and went back to reading her book. He frowned and plopped down on the floor, bored out of his mind. He was tired of looking at books. Once, a child brought something to the mansion called a "toy," and he let Sephiroth see it. It was a little toy soldier with a little gun, and to Sephiroth, it was simply amazing. He heard the parents talking about something called Chris-mus… or something like that. They talked about how their good little children got many of these new toys. It only made Sephiroth frown. The people he lived with didn't seem to think he was a good boy, and even if they did, they didn't seem to know what a Chris-mus was.

Sephiroth wandered to his white, plain, boring little room and frowned again. Maybe if he tried harder to be good, they'd give him a little toy soldier?

* * *

He didn't know what birthdays were since his was never celebrated or acknowledged. It was only by coincidence that he felt extra light and cheerful on the first morning of his third year. He walked around ShinRa mansion quietly, exploring room after room... always hoping that something would be different. Even the quiet streets of Nibelheim just past the front gate had to be more interesting. But he seldom got to go outside.

He was feeling defiant today, and so he crept into the dark bedroom that he was so often told to stay out of. It startled him when his little foot disturbed a floorboard, making a loud creaking sound, but he made his way in nonetheless. His only light was coming from the hallway, so he carefully looked around, touching anything that looked shiny or interesting. He blinked curiously at the assortment of needles and handcuffs and medicines on the desk, but knew better than to touch them. In fact, the room wasn't all that interesting at all. He was going to leave, but a loud sound made him jump. He quickly dove into the shadows in the corner and hugged his knees. With wide jade eyes he watched as a portion of the stone wall opened up, revealing a well hidden door. Hojo emerged from there, but only long enough to grab some handcuffs and a couple needles. He soon went back through the hidden door.

Sephiroth sat there in the darkness of the room, and just before the door closed he heard a man's faint frightened scream. "Doctor?" Sephiroth murmured, although no one could hear him. He slowly stood, and approached the door. There was a long, spiraling staircase, and although it was dark he could see a glimmer of light at the bottom. He wasn't afraid of the dark since no one seemed to mind shutting him away in the dark labs all night after his Mako radiation treatments.

He slowly made his way down, moving slowly so that no one would hear. It took a very long time, many gentle steps, and a lot of nervous but well controlled breathing. Finally, his feet touched the dirt floor at the bottom. He looked around to see that he was in some sort of cave. He had seen caves in books, and this one was just as interesting. The dirt path seemed very long to him, even though it grew brighter with torches as he went. It seemed like an eternity before he saw a door ahead of him. The door looked as though it were made of metal... just like the labs at the back of the mansion. But this one was so well hidden.

A sudden shuffling sound from inside made him stop. Suddenly he heard what sounded like a muffled scream, and it was so close. Just through the door. Swallowing, he stepped forward and peaked inside through the small crack in the barely open doorway.

He saw Hojo there, and felt a little relieved to see him okay. But there was someone else in the room as well. Sephiroth watched curiously as Hojo stared at the other person, whose wrists were chained above his head so that he was forced to be on his knees on the hard, metal operating table. Well... Sephiroth assumed it was a man from the deep gasps and breaths erupting from the man's throat. The lab was so dark that he could only make out the man's long black hair as a feature he would remember.

Sephiroth stood there watching, nervous for some reason. He watched as Hojo got on to the operating table behind the man. Both of them were in the shadows now, and Sephiroth could barely make them out, even with his powerful eyesight. It looked as though Hojo was hugging the man from behind, which made Sephiroth feel a sudden swell of jealousy. Hojo never hugged him! All Sephiroth got were slaps!

Suddenly Hojo seemed to push his body roughly forward, causing the other man to gasp, and Hojo laughed lowly.

"No..." Sephiroth heard the mystery man whisper. "I can't take it anymore... Stop…. You're... ripping me… open…."

"Shut up," Hojo growled at the man. "There will never be relief for you. Not from me or anyone."

Sephiroth's cat-like eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he watched as Hojo seemed to be pressing his body against the other man's repeatedly. It looked like the other man wasn't enjoying it though. Why would Hojo care about a stupid man who didn't want to play games as much as he did? Why wouldn't Hojo ever play with Sephy too?

The mystery man made an odd sound, like the kind Sephiroth heard himself make when the treatments got really painful. Hojo was making odd sounds too, and he breathed heavily... but occasionally he would laugh lowly at the other man.

"Please..." the other man gasped. "I can't..."

"Perhaps this is karma for all the people you killed," Hojo said lowly.

"They never suffered... I would never--"

"Well you should have," Hojo said darkly. "It feels good to fuck the unwilling. It feels good to take control. Isn't that what you wanted as a member of the Turks? Control? You thought it was alright to pick and choose who would die and who would suffer at that person's loss. So tell me, why is it so wrong for me to make YOU bleed."

Sephiroth watched as Hojo whispered and hissed these words in the man's ear. He didn't realize that he was leaning too hard on the door until he fell through it, tumbling into the lab. He knew instantly that he had done something horribly wrong. It was as though he could feel it in the air. He could feel Hojo's angry, piercing gaze. He heard Hojo get up off of the table and felt himself being pulled from the ground roughly by the arm.

"You know you are never to come here!!" Hojo yelled in his face. "Children as stupid as you will suffer their whole lives!"

Sephiroth just stood there wide eyed. Hojo called him stupid a lot... stupid and ugly. But he didn't usually raise his voice this much or even say this much to him. It took a few moments for Sephiroth to realize that Hojo was naked, as was the man on the operating table. Sephiroth was able to meet that man's eyes now, and he regretted ever coming in here. The man looked down at him with more hatred than Hojo had ever looked at him with. Sephiroth almost didn't believe what he was seeing when he realized the man's eyes were the color of blood. The dim light of the lab caught his features in just the right way to make him look very dark and demon-like as his hatred was so apparent.

"If you say anything about what you see in here," Hojo said, his voice snapping Sephiroth back to attention, "I'll have you beaten to death in the street!!"

And with that Hojo flung him out of the lab and shut the door. Sephiroth slowly got up and rubbed his arm. He heard what sounded like another scream from the man with the red eyes, but was still too young to know just how much help the man needed.

* * *

Sephiroth had hoped he was spared from punishment, but deep down he knew that would never be possible. Hojo came to his room that night and stirred him from his sleep. The young boy found himself stripped naked an beaten with Hojo's belt again and again until he wailed in pain.

"SHUT UP!" Hojo yelled. "The more you cry the more you'll suffer!"

Even at age three, Sephiroth knew the meaning of the word suffer. But he couldn't help but cry out as the belt cut into his fair skin. So Hojo dropped the belt and punched him in the face, sending his small body reeling back against the wall. He hit face first, and he covered his face with his hands as he screamed. But Hojo showed no remorse as he grabbed Sephiroth's shoulder-length silver hair and pulled his head back to look up at him.

"Vile child," Hojo said lowly. "I should just tell the ShinRa that you were a failure." He grabbed the crying boy by the arm and pulled him to the window. "You aren't worth anything. To think that I have been ordered to watch over such a stupid child who can't stop crying." Hojo grabbed him by the throat roughly, cutting off his air. "Accidents happen, don't they... my little toy?"

Sephiroth whimpered as Hojo kicked the window open wildly, and he didn't have the breath to scream as he felt Hojo fling him from the second story window. The ground came hard and fast, and an ear-shattering scream erupted from the little boy's throat. His body ached all over, and he hit his head so hard that he saw patches of black. He tasted his own blood as it flowed from his nose and mouth.

Lights in the mansion flickered on, and a few of the nurses and researchers came outside. The found him nude on the cold, wet grass, screaming at the top of his lungs as he bled. His body was twisted at a horrible angle.

"Sephy!" cried the nurse. She and the researchers knelt beside him, ready to take care of him. But a shadow loomed over them from behind.

"NO! What happened!" Hojo cried, managing to look shocked. "You poor boy!"

The others looked relieved to see Hojo, since he was the most experienced in medicine.

"This is a disturbing scene," Hojo said, trying to look as troubled as possible. Please go inside, and I will come for you if I need you. Too many people will frighten the boy. He won't relax. Go and I will care for him. I'm sure you'll be there if I need you? Good. Then go now."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sephiroth screamed.

The others looked at the boy, but thought it best to follow Hojo's orders. So they left, occasionally looking back.

"NOOOO!" Sephiroth screamed again as they left him there with his tormentor.

When they were gone, Hojo growled something about witnesses and reluctantly carried a very horrified Sephiroth to a quiet lab to treat him. He was surprised when the boy straightened out on the operating table, especially after seeing the angle he was in after hitting the ground. None of his bones were broken, but he was covered with bruises and deep cuts... and he screamed because he landed on bits of glass and metal, which were still embedded in his back.

Sephiroth felt a tiny bit of relief when the objects were removed from his back, but his head and body still ached. He just wanted to go to bed and rest.

But Hojo saw it more fit to lock him in the closet for two days without food. He couldn't even get rest, for his nightmares never let him.

---To be continued---


	3. Big Boys

Warning: Sexual situations (M/M) and violence. 

**Eternal Fall: part III: Big Boys**

The messenger arrived on a sunny day in Nibelheim and was allowed into the ShinRa mansion to deliver secret documents to Dr. Hojo. Dr. Hojo met him near the front entrance, and let his eyes examine the youth who carried the documents. This young man came to deliver often, and was probably the son of some high official to the ShinRa government. Hojo smiled at him... this black-haired, brown-eyed, handsome young man. And the young man smiled in return, but there was something in his eyes. Hojo knew this look, for he had given and received it many times in his youth.

"Why don't you come down to the lab so you can give them a good report on what you see?" Hojo said with a grin.

The young man smiled and followed him as Hojo led him to a seemingly normal bedroom, then past the secret door in the stone wall... and then down the spiral staircase and through the cave. Hojo gently took the documents away from him and set them on his desk. He then turned to the young messenger and moved in close, his hands slowly traveling over the youth's chest. The young man closed his eyes and smiled in response, and Hojo kissed him hungrily.

Hojo's hands slowly undid the buttons of the young man's shirt, and it slid away from him with ease. But he stopped the youth from trying to undress him as well. Instead he broke the kiss and grinned as he slowly undid the young man's pants, pulling them down and sliding them over the already hard bulge forming in the youth's underwear. And Hojo wasted no time in pulling that cloth boundary away as well.

The young man allowed Hojo to bend him over the operating table, and in moments he felt an oiled finger enter him. It slid in and out, before a second finger joined, and then a third. Hojo tested the young man's body slowly, listening to his responsive moans.

Hojo studied the youth's face and body, and he knew that this boy liked it rough. He liked to be taken with force, and he liked it when he was filled to the point where intense pain turned to pleasure. Hojo smirked as he pulled the boy away from this operating table, and led him to another one that was deep in the lab. The head of this operating table rested against what looked like a dark jail cell, for bars extended from the floor to the ceiling. Hojo led the young man to lie down on this table, and he handcuffed the youth's wrists to the bars. The youth only smiled suggestively in response as Hojo's hand moved between his thighs.

"Please," whispered the young man, "Don't make me wait for it..."

"I like to be begged," Hojo said, getting onto the operating table and kneeling between the young man's spread thighs. "But I warn you... I show no mercy."

"I want it. Give it to me."

Hojo looked down at him with a dark smile and slowly undid his lab coat. The youth found that he was wearing nothing underneath, and he let his eyes roam over the older man's body. And since he begged Hojo to continue, Hojo took no time in preparing him further.

"Remember that you asked for no mercy," Hojo said darkly as he thrust himself inside roughly. The young man gasped and groaned in pleasure as his body arched off the table. His body tensed and he grabbed the bars behind his head as he yelled out in pleasure... begging, panting, pleading...

But then... the young man gasped, but this time in fear. As he tilted his head back in ecstasy he found himself looking at two blood red eyes and a large fanged mouth. There was someone... or something in the cell behind him. It's shadowed figure looked massive in the low candlelight, and it let out harsh, deep breaths.

The youth tried to jerk away, but his handcuffs and Hojo pounding into him halted his attempts. He lifted his head to tell Hojo to stop, but suddenly a large, cold hand slammed down onto his face, the palm of the hand suffocating the young man. Hojo didn't seem to notice or care as the youth's muffled screams hung in the air around him. The creature behind the bars dug his claws into the youth's skin as it started to crush his head. The youth screamed in agony, but Hojo, who was just barely out of the creature's reach continued to use his body, which was growing tighter with each second as the youth's fear caused every muscle in his body to strain.

The last thing the young messenger heard was an agonized cry from something that was far from human. A loud, oozing crunch echoed in the lab, and blood splattered all over the equipment, the operating table, and Hojo. Hojo only groaned as he thrust into the dead young man's body one last time, and he threw his head back as he his climax rose and fell, pleasure spreading throughout his body. The creature tried to claw him the whole time, but it roared in frustration when it found that no matter how hard it tried, Hojo managed to stay just out of reach.

Hojo glared at the creature before a dark smiled crossed his lips. He pulled out of the young man and used a handkerchief from his lab coat pocket to wipe the bits of brain-matter away from his face.

"Now I have to clean this up," he muttered as he stared into the creatures red eyes. "You'll pay for that. We can't have ShinRa's new biological weapon messing up the labs now can we?" Hojo motioned to the dead boy on the operating table. "There is your dinner."

And then Hojo left. The creature's growls soon seemed to turn into screams, and then cries.

* * *

Six months after the incident in which he stumbled into Hojo's lab, and after countless rumors of a young messenger disappearing because of Hojo, young Sephy had a nightmare about falling through an endless abyss. He dreamed that Hojo had thrown him in, and that he had laughed as Sephy fell and fell and fell. There was no hope there... 

He woke up with a start and jumped out of bed. Quickly and angrily, he headed straight towards the forbidden room and found the switch that opened to the forbidden staircase. He headed for the lab where the red-eyed man had stared at him with such hatred. He was still in his blue pajamas and barefoot, but he didn't care that he had no protection. His little feet fell hard on the cold ground and he made his way to the metal door. Hojo thought he was too stupid to keep the password in the back of his mind when he saw it scribbled down in Hojo's notebook. Hojo also thought Sephy couldn't remember such a long code, but his little fingers effortlessly punched the code in: ThE OmeGA SoLdIEr WiLL CoME.

The door opened slowly and Sephy stomped inside, trying to look more angry than he was. He looked here and there and finally heard a groan from the shadows. There was a cage there, and he knew who was inside. He walked over slowly and plopped himself in front of the cage.

"Wake up!" came Sephy's little voice.

The man in the cage stirred, and Sephy realized he was staring straight into his eyes. The eyes were cold and red like blood, and so full of hatred. In the dim light of the lab Sephy could almost make out the pale skin... and something else. A gold glint caught his eye, and he realized that he man's left arm seemed to be made of gold itself. It was like a claw...

"Sephiroth..." whispered the hoarse voice from inside the cage.

Sephiroth swallowed and slid closer to the bars of the cage. "You... you hate me..."

"Like the fires of a thousand suns... my hatred burns for you... son of Hojo..." came the tired but hate-filled voice. It was so strained and filled with pain that Sephiroth wanted to turn and run. But he stayed right there next to the bars.

"If you hate me so much, then kill me!" Sephiroth yelled, tears springing to his eyes.

"What do you know?!" roared the man from inside. "What does a child know of death or pain or suffering?! What do you know of loss?!"

Sephiroth started to cry then and there. "Nothing... I don't know anything! So send me away!" His tears flowed like rivers in front of the unfeeling man, though it was not sympathy the little boy wanted. "Send me to heaven... Send me to the Lifestream..."

"I have been watching you... son of Hojo..." the man said, reaching through the bars of his cage. "Through those cameras, I have seen you... through those speakers, I have heard you... and through my dreams, I have felt my hands take your life..."

Sephiroth didn't cry out or move as the man's cold hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing.

"I will make you suffer..." the man said slowly, and he squeezed harder and drew Sephiroth closer to the bars. His clawed hand cut sharply into the little boys throat. But Sephy only closed his eyes and waited to see the adventure of death.

Everything stared to get black and patchy, and soon Sephiroth started to see stars. But then everything would retreat... then slowly return. His body wasn't going to die so easily, so the man squeezed hard enough to crush the throat of any normal child. Sephy only waited for his end to come. It would be the end to pain, and he wouldn't have to see Hojo anymore. He wouldn't be beaten or burned and he wouldn't be cold or hungry.

But then... the man's hands fell from his neck, and the man knelt there sobbing loudly. Sephiroth shook his head as the man moved to the darkest corner of the cage and held himself as he sobbed.

"Why...?" Sephiroth managed to say, rubbing his neck.

"Get out!!!!" yelled the man. "OUT!!!!"

Sephiroth jumped up, scared at the man's horrifying tone.

"GET OUT NOW!!!!"

In the man's voice, Sephiroth could hear so many horrors and so much anguish that he quickly jumped up and ran from the lab. If this man killed him, he might send him to hell or a place of worse suffering. He ran up the stairs and down the hall, jumping into his bed and crying that his pain would continue.

Deep within the lab, the sobbing man held himself as he shivered with frustration and anger and sorrow. "No... He looks like you... Lucrecia, he looks like you... Forgive me, please forgive me..."

* * *

His forth birthday came and went, and once again he didn't know it. He only knew that his age had changed from three to four, meaning that he was becoming a bigger boy. He sat there in his plain, white room, reading a book meant for boys years older than his own tender age. Every once in a while he would rub this body part or that, remembering the beating he received last night after Hojo drank too much and decided that Sephy was an ugly, stupid child... again. Sephiroth glanced up at his mirror and sighed deeply. He probably was ugly and stupid. Why else was he treated this way? Hojo didn't treat anyone else this way. Sighing again, Sephy ran his fingers through his hair, which was reaching past his shoulders since people had given up on cutting it. It always seemed to grow back so quickly. Oh yes... Hojo also beat him for looking like a little girl. 

He heard a knock on the door to his room, and he lifted his eyes from his book once more, hoping that it was someone calling him for food and not for a beating or a Mako enhancement treatment. He blinked when a man with dark hair and a dark mustache stepped into his room. The man wore glasses, and had smiling blue eyes. He stared down at Sephiroth for a moment, before kneeling in front of him.

"Hello," Sephiroth said to the man in his small, childish voice.

The man seemed to study him and the book he was reading. Then he moved over and sat down on Sephy's bed. He patted his lap, and when Sephy looked confused, the man lifted him up and sat him down, smiling at him gently.

"That's a big boy's book, isn't it?" the man asked, taking the book away from him.

Sephiroth blinked for a moment. "I'm four."

"That book looks like it's fit for an ten year old at the least."

Sephiroth blinked again. "Doctor Hojo says I have to read it since most kids can read big books by now."

The man looked surprised for some reason. "He said that?"

"Yes," Sephy nodded. "I don't want to be stupid anymore."

"You aren't stupid," the man smiled.

Sephiroth looked at him for a while, and the man could tell from his eyes that it was the closest thing to a compliment the boy had in a long time.

"Where is your room?" the man asked.

"This is my room."

"But... where are your things? Your toys?"

"I'm a bad boy. I don't get any toys."

"What do you do that's so bad?"

"I'm stupid and ugly. I look like a girl. I cry too much."

The man suddenly looked very angry and Sephy lowered his green eyes. He couldn't figure out how he made the man angry.

"Who tells you these things?!" the man demanded.

"D...Doctor Hojo..."

"What else does he tell you?" the man said, holding Sephy gently on his lap. "What else does Hojo say to you?"

Sephiroth only sat there, his head lowered. "Am I going to get a beating today?" he asked finally.

They both sat there in silence, and Sephy felt the man slowly lifting up his shirt, then sliding it back into place. He took the little boy's arms and examined them gently, and then he looked at his legs.

"Bruises... all over..." the man whispered angrily.

"I'm sorry," Sephy whispered, thinking the man was angry at him for being such a bad boy that he received so many beatings. Suddenly he raised his frightened eyes to the man, squirming on his lap. "Are you... the boogie man?!" Suddenly he burst into tears. "I'm sorry for being a bad boy! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!"

The man wrapped his arms around Sephy, bouncing his knee gently. "Aww, come now. I'm no boogie man. The boogie man doesn't exist, I promise. Why? What did they tell you?"

Sephiroth sobbed there softly, covering his mouth with his hand and trying not to cry.

"Cry all you want," the man said gently. "It's okay."

"The... the boogie man is going to come one night and... he's going to burn me... on the inside," cried the boy. "I'm sorry I'm bad!"

"Burn you? On the inside?"

Sephy nodded, then whispered. "He'll make it burn where I go to the bathroom, then shoot white poison into me so it'll burn and get bloody."

The man squeezed Sephiroth gently. "Has that... ever happened before?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No! I'm trying to be good!"

Suddenly the man hugged Sephy to his chest, and Sephiroth sat there in surprise as he listened to the man's heartbeat. The man rocked back and forth, and every time Sephy lifted his head, the man smiled down at him and told him how smart and handsome and good he was. For once in a long time, Sephy smiled.

His smile quickly faded when he heard heavy footsteps approaching from the hall.

"Why the hell is this door open stupid boy?!" Hojo's voice boomed.

Hojo stormed in, and Sephiroth tried to jump off the man's lap. But the man held him in place. Hojo looked at the new man with surprised eyes for a long while.

"I didn't think I'd find you here, Gast," Hojo said lowly. "After all, you're always off visiting some unknown friend and finding time to do some unknown researching without me."

"Looks like the only thing you're researching is how to further abuse this boy here," Dr. Gast said angrily. "Physical and emotional abuse, fatigue, told stories about how the boogie man will molest him! Looks like the boy hasn't had enough to eat, and would you mind telling me why his eyes glow like a man from SOLDIER?!"

"Had you been around, you would know that this is my research. This is Sephiroth. The beginning stage of the Jenova project sits there on your lap," Hojo said, glaring at Sephiroth. "And don't bother getting too attached. He'll be shipped off to Midgar tonight."

"Midgar?!" Gast exclaimed. "What business does this little boy have in Midgar? You plan to dump him there?"

"He will enter the military. Don't bother telling me about abuse. He hasn't seen abuse yet. Just wait until they find out what a failure he is. The best he'll be when he's older is a male whore the real soldiers bend over their beds at night. He will never amount to anything."

Gast covered Sephy's ears gently. "The military? The boy needs a childhood, not for you to test out how early young children can start killing others."

"He will have no childhood, and the ShinRa government has authorized it. President ShinRa himself has authorized that this boy be placed under military supervision immediately. He will be our secret project... the one who might become the ultimate soldier due to his early training and the Jenova cells running through his blood. Yes, Gast, his eyes glow because he has been receiving Mako enhancement treatments. It has already begun. It's too bad that he has disappointed me so much already."

Doctor Gast met Sephy's gaze for a moment. Soon they heard more heavy footsteps from the hallway. They all looked over to the door to see the Turks entering, all of them wearing their neat blue suits and dark sunglasses. Their icy exteriors frightened Sephy to the core for some reason.

"We've come for the boy," one of them said.

Gast reluctantly let them pull Sephiroth away, for if President ShinRa had the Turks involved, they certainly had permission to kill him and hurt the boy if he didn't cooperate.

"Tell me," Gast asked. "Did they ever find Vincent Valentine? A body? Word from him? He really was a good man… it's sad to hear he's missing."

A couple of the Turks actually looked a bit affected by the questions. "There has been no word. He has been filed as missing in action."

And that was all they said before Sephiroth was lifted up and taken from the house. When he was outside he looked up and realized how pretty the night sky was. Soon the roof of a car took the sky's place, and he couldn't see a single star through the tinted windows as the car took off and raced for the dirty, depressing, giant industrial and technological city of Midgar. Sephiroth didn't know what was going on. He didn't know he'd be leaving for long. He was never let out of the house, and since the men were gentle with him, he didn't protest. He was just happy to be away from Hojo... though he wanted the other doctor to come with him...

Hojo only laughed to himself as he stared through his window, watching the car speed off. "I'm finally rid of that trash," he said softly.

He didn't know that Doctor Gast had already taken note of Sephiroth and left for his unknown destination.

* * *

Sephiroth woke up in another plain room. It was so much like his old room, in fact, that he forgot he was in a new place. He simply got up, stretched his little body, then realized that his door and window were out of place. He slowly walked over to the window and saw nothing but metal and concrete. There were tall buildings everywhere, and he too was in some kind of large building. It was all so new to him, and he couldn't help but stare out the window at the masses of stone and metal… and the millions of lights! 

The door creaked behind him and he turned to see a man who was much larger than anyone he had ever seen before. It wasn't as though the man was tall… it was just that his belly stuck out really far. The man had blonde hair and cold eyes, and he looked pretty important in his black suit. A few of the Turks stood behind him as he approached Sephiroth slowly.

"So this is the boy?" the man asked, looking down at him. "He looks more like a little girl. There is nothing unusual about him at all. I think Dr. Hojo is playing games with us."

"I assure you, Mr. President, this is the child you asked for," one of the Turks said.

Another man, tall and extremely muscular walked up to join the group. He wore a black trench coat, black gloves, and boots. He had a rough face, and only a hint of his light brown hair could be seen from under his military cap. He looked like he was chiseled from a block of ice. His grayish eyes stared down at Sephy.

One of the Turks stepped forward. "Young man, this is Ethan Kinneas," he said, motioning to the man in black. "He will be your teacher and your trainer from now on. You will address him as General Kinneas."

"General… Kinneas…?" Sephiroth asked softly.

"Speak up!" General Kinneas yelled. He grabbed Sephy roughly by the arm. "Now you listen to me! You are now under my control! You will do as I say or I'll hurt you. No one here gives a shit about you. I say when you eat, I say when you sleep, and I say when you pee! You got that?!"

Sephy only stared at him.

"ANSWER ME!" Kinneas yelled.

"Y… yes. Yes… sir…."

"Good. But stop sounding like a scared little girl. Now, shithead, this man here," he said, motioning to the large blonde man in the suit. "This man is your king. You got that? This is your president. You will call him President ShinRa. Everything you do will be to serve this man. If he isn't happy with you, you'll suffer slowly as we kill you. And no one will ever notice you're gone. Got it?!"

"Yes sir…" Sephy said, scared out of his mind.

"We're going to make a soldier out of you. And if you aren't the best, we kill you. Simple as that."

A solider? Sephiroth couldn't believe his ears. He had read about soldiers. They seemed like very important people. They helped others also. Surely he could do it? When he was with Hojo, he didn't see any escape or hope. He didn't see himself ever being good enough. But here, they wanted him to do something… something important. He could do it. He would do anything he could to please these men.

Anything….

---To be Continued---


	4. Plaything

Warning: Child abuse

** Eternal Fall: Part IV: Plaything**

The cold air hit him hard as the blankets were torn off the bed. He cringed at the cold as he slowly opened his tired eyes to see taller boys staring down at him. He found himself being ripped from his bed and thrown to the cold, hard floor. He quickly stood up and glared at them. They all towered over him, and ever since he was placed in this "school" for boys, he had been bullied.

"One!" yelled a boy as he swiftly punched Sephy in the stomach.

"Two!" Yelled another as he landed a punch on Sephy's jaw.

The miserable boy hit the ground, his heart growing heavy.

"Three!" came a kick to the back.

"Four!" came the stomp.

"FIVE!" came the fury of punches and kicks and laughter.

"Today is the day," one of the boys grinned, "Today is the day people who hate you show you how much they wish you were never born. Happy fucking birthday you little fucking pussy."

Sephiroth only remained there on the floor, his depressed eyes showing nothing but loss of hope. He was the youngest one here. He was only five, and the other boys in these barracks were at least nine. He was the shortest and skinniest... and so logically he guessed he was the weakest. Ever since he came here a year ago they abused him. He was more intelligent than any of them and quicker to learn... and they hated him for it. He endured months of being pushed around, abused, hated, and so very alone. It was worse when he had to shower or change, because they made fun of his long hair and his "girly eyes and body."

General Ethan Kinneas wasn't of much help either. In fact, he seemed to encourage the abuse. It was as though he would order the boys to hurt Sephiroth. He liked to watch him when he was in pain. But the worst part about General Kinneas was his hatred for basic emotions.

Sephiroth slowly got up from the floor, his body begging him to return to bed. He winced as he arched his back. General Kinneas took him to a secluded cell last night and beat him. He beat him for laughing at a joke he heard. Sephy got a beating when he laughed, a beating when he got too angry, and a beating for showing any other type of emotion too strongly. But the worst was when he cried. The last time he shed a tear, Kinneas hit him with a baseball bat.

And now, the emotionless General stood at in the doorway watching him. Watching to see if Sephiroth would cry from the beating he received on his already worn body. But Sephiroth only glanced at him, then stood at attention. Kinneas only seemed disappointed.

"Come outside" the General ordered.

Sephiroth dressed quickly and ran outside in his blue training uniform. His little booted feet fell hard in quick steps. He stepped outside and saw Kinneas waiting for him... along with President ShinRa. The president only glared at him for a long while as he stood at attention like a good little soldier.

"He still looks like a little girl," ShinRa muttered.

"He has to grow eventually, Mr. President," General Kinneas responded. "Hopefully he'll break five feet with that frail body of his."

Sephiroth could hear snickering from the other boys around him. They could show emotion if they wanted to, especially if it was directed towards making him miserable. A couple of boys standing out of view from President ShinRa and the General started smoothing their hair mockingly as a girl would. Sephy felt the humiliation rising up in him, but knew he couldn't do anything about it.

"He doesn't fight back against the other boys when they mess with him. He is constantly harassed and pushed around. The boy doesn't have a bit of fight in him. He is the most pathetic thing I have ever seen."

Sephiroth only listened, staring ahead like a good soldier as Kinneas bad-mouthed him.

"But he's only five," Kinneas continued. "I'll see he's toughened up."

" I will leave him in your care, General," President ShinRa said flatly. "Not that I see any reason to continue this project. The boy obviously has no talent."

Kinneas only nodded, then looked at Sephiroth for a moment. "Go to my office," he ordered.

"Yes sir!" Sephy said, saluting before running off to the General's office. Once he made it there he stood at attention for a long while before Kinneas arrived to unlock the door. President ShinRa followed him slowly, his large stomach heaving as though he were already out of breath. The two walked in and Sephy followed.

"Leave me with the boy a moment," President ShinRa said softly.

Sephy stood there uneasily as General Kinneas left the room, locking the door behind him. President ShinRa glared down at the quiet little boy for a moment.

"Get on the desk," ShinRa said pointing to Kinneas's large, clean desk.

Sephy blinked for a moment, but quickly obeyed, climbing onto the chair then standing on the desk. ShinRa walked over and shut the blinds, blocking the rest of the world out.

"Take off your clothes," the president ordered.

Sephy obeyed, even if he didn't understand it. He stripped off his little blue training uniform and stood at attention again after throwing it to the floor. He felt President ShinRa's eyes on him, and he felt even more humiliated than when the boys made fun of him. This was the man he was supposed to be living for, and now he was getting a good look at how girly Sephy looked. Shinra said nothing, but he walked around the desk and stood behind Sephy. The little boy had no idea what he could be staring at so intently. Suddenly a blindfold covered his green eyes, but he made sure not to move or flinch. He heard a rustling sound as though the president was looking through his briefcase, and then he heard a clicking sound. He didn't recognize the camera's sound, so he only stood there, curious about what was happening.

"Get down on your hands and knees," ShinRa ordered.

Sephy obeyed and slowly got on all fours on top of the desk. He heard more clicking, and knew the president was moving around him. The blindfold was too tight for him to see the camera flash.

"Remain on your hands and knees, but put your chest to the desk."

Sephy obeyed and again heard more clicking. He heard President ShinRa's breathing growing more ragged, and he guessed that the president was really out of shape.

"Lie on your back."

Sephy obeyed, more clicking came, and then he heard more rustling from the briefcase before his blindfold was removed.

"Get off the desk and cloth yourself. Speak nothing of this to anyone."

The little boy nodded and hopped off the desk. He got back into his training uniform before ShinRa opened the blinds. He was still completely confused as to what he had just done and why. The best guess he had was that he was being tested somehow to see if he was actually fit to be a soldier. He thought on this a moment as the president unlocked the door and asked General Kinneas to come back inside. Kinneas entered and Sephy thought he saw a faint smirk cross his lips before he sent the little boy off to eat.

* * *

The next day, Sephiroth woke up feeling more refreshed than usual. today was the day he began his combat training. He was surprised none of the other boys beat him up this morning, especially since it was apparent that only he was chosen for this training. He heard angry remarks about him being able to train at age five, but he ignored them. today was the day he would learn something that would truly change his life.

He dressed in his blue uniform and ran off to eat eggs and toast in the cafeteria. He then ran out to the combat field, at long before ten in the morning, which was when they were supposed to gather. He only sat in the field and admired the feel of the breeze. He wished that Midgar had more pleasing scenery to calm his nerves. And he really wished his nerves would be more steady as the other students arrived. None of them could possibly be younger than fifteen. They didn't seen to notice him or acknowledge him. Not until he stood with them upon the arrival of their instructor, a young man with his black hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Good morning to you all," the man said, his words rolling slowly from his mouth.

Sephiroth noticed how noble the man seemed, regardless of his age. He also watched as the mans long black ponytail caught the wind, even though it was tied back with blue ribbon. Sephy had to smile at that, and he half wished the boys from his barracks were here to see that fighters could have long hair if they wished.

"This will be your instructor," came a sly voice from behind them. "You will address him as Garamonde sensei and show him respect at all times, regardless of situation."

Sephiroth recognized the voice and knew it belonged to General Kinneas. But he continued to watch Garamonde sensei as he stood there with quiet strength. He wore a black and blue uniform, and stood patiently. His eyes followed the line of boys, but he soon settled his gaze on little Sephy. The little boy knew he was being looked at, but he stared forward like a good soldier.

"What's your name, child?" Garamonde sensei asked.

"My name is Sephiroth, Garamonde sensei!" he said, much the way he had been trained to talk as a soldier. He had to stop himself from saying "sir".

"What's your age?"

"Five Years, Sensei!"

Garamonde didn't seem surprised. He only nodded and seemed to take note of the boy's age before stepping back to exam his new students.

"I will not only be your combat instructor. My talents are with the sword. You will also be learning martial arts and basic skills with other weapons. Although I do not favor it, those of you who prove successful enough will move on to use guns. But mark my words when I say that I expect discipline from you all."

Sephiroth was more than excited. There were so many new things he could learn. All of the students were given a wooden sword for now, and when he received his he stared at it for a long time. He held it up and admired the curve of it and the feel of the wood. He grew even more excited when he realized that he might hold an actual metal sword one day. Then he could protect people for the rest of his life. He could make sure that no one felt any pain. And then perhaps at least one person might want to be his friend...

_They couldn't lay a finger on you if you had a real sword..._ came a woman's voice. _One day, everyone will fear you..._

Sephiroth turned around, but saw no one. He blinked and turned around again, looking this way and that. He even looked towards the sky, since he had exhausted all other options.

"Are you alright?" Garamonde sensei asked. Sephiroth realized that Garamonde's eyes were fixed on him. None of the other boys had noticed his behavior since they were all preoccupied with their new wooden swords.

"I heard someone..." Sephy began. "I...I thought..." He looked around again and decided to say nothing about it. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry."

Sephy only nodded, although there was so much more he wanted to say. But according to what his commanding officers had taught him, it was horrible behavior to say words that weren't absolutely necessary.

"You don't speak as I would expect someone your age to speak." Garamonde said, circling Sephy slowly. "You sound very mature. I had wondered what General Kinneas was up to when he requested that you be trained. Tell me. Why are you here?"

"To become a soldier, sensei."

"That is why General Kinneas wants you to be here. Why are you really here?"

Sephiroth didn't seem to understand the question.

"You see, Sephiroth, I am here because it is my duty to protect, as my family has for ages. For centuries the Garamonde's have sworn to protect people. But I do not only do it because I wish to do as my family wants me too. I also do it because it makes me feel fulfilled to help others. Now tell me, why are you here?"

"I'm here to protect others, sensei."

"And?" Garamonde asked, not surprised that little Sephy seemed to understand him so fully, regardless of what big words he used.

_Your sword will make people love you..._ came the woman's voice. But Sephy ignored it.

"And... I... I... want people to be proud of me. I want to make sure no one feels any pain ever. Never ever."

"Very good Sephiroth. Practice everyday and practice well."

And then Garamonde returned to his spot in front of the boys and called them all back. Soon their basic training began.

* * *

Sephiroth felt a little sore that night when he took a shower. For the boys of his barrack, the showers were all in one big tiled room. There were a couple stalls with curtains, but the bigger boys usually hit Sephy for using "their" stalls. He normally took showers later than most of the other boys in order to give less people a chance to make fun of him. And tonight all of the boys were either occupied or in bed. He thought he had the bathroom to himself, and he certainly didn't see the teenage boy walk into the shower with him.

The much older boy stared down at him, watching as the water ran down Sephy's silver stands. Sephiroth suddenly realized this boy was a superior, and he stood up right.

"Go lie on the shower bench," the older boy commanded.

"Yes sir!" Sephy said, obeying.

"Close your eyes," the older boy said approaching him slowly, and Sephy did.

The older boy's shadow fell over him, but Sephy didn't move. He heard the boy's breath quicken beside him, and he heard a strange noise... as though the boy was hitting himself softly. And then, after what seemed like a long while... Sephy felt something hit his face. It was liquid, but it wasn't water. It hit his face and chest and oozed slowly on his skin. Sephy heard footsteps, and he knew the older boy was gone. After a long while he sat up and put his hand to his face. He found the sticky white substance and quickly went to wash it off, thinking it was some odd soap. That older boy was very creepy, and Sephiroth had no idea what he wanted. He guessed that it was just another prank.

* * *

Back in his home, President ShinRa looked at the pictures he took of little Sephy. He grinned as he looked at them for a moment before unzipping his pants and relieving himself of his lust.

And then there was General Kinneas, who sat in his office not far from Sephy's barrack...

He wasn't the type to settle for shower tricks or pictures...

But Sephy was much too young for him now. The general had decided long ago that ten was the best age. The general smiled as he toyed with the idea of training Sephy to be his permanent sex slave. After all, the boy had no real notions of what life should be. And he would probably be small and weak his whole life. The boy was so beautiful, and for some reason, so different from the other boys. Kinneas finally decided that he would have to lower the age limit when it came to his unwilling subjects. And he smirked as he let his mind wander back to his favorite object of desire...

---To Be Continued---


	5. Tantrum

_Wake up, child. It's time to start a new day. You want to become a great soldier one day, don't you?_

"Yes, I do."

_You must get stronger with each passing day._

"Why can no one else hear you?"

_Everyone has an inner voice. But it is forbidden to speak of it. The punishment is severe._

"Why does my inner voice sound like a woman?"

_Perhaps I'm your guardian angel._

"Perhaps."

_They are coming... can you hear them? They are near you._

"The other boys? They're always near me. It's okay... they think I'm asleep. I don't have to move my lips when I speak to you."

_But they will come. They will hit you again. They will hurt you._

"...I know."

_So do something about them. Make an example of one of them._

"I don't want to. I can't."

_Oh, but you can... you can._

"No. And I don't want to talk about it anymore."

_But you can't block me out._

"Go away."

_Never... Never..._

**Eternal Fall: part V: Tantrum**

Little Sephy sat in class that morning, earning many looks from the teenagers around him. He flipped through the last few pages of the textbook that had been assigned to them only a few days ago. He sighed, stretched in this chair, then dug into his backpack for the next book. They all watched as he started to read through it with amazing speed. They might have questioned whether or not he was actually reading it if it weren't for the fact that he took the occasional note or checked the back of the book for a definition. Sephy knew they were looking, but he didn't care about them. He wasn't in the mood to deal with people making fun of him or staring at him. He knew today was the day people would beat him harder than normal. He heard the other boys in his barrack talking, and he knew that today was the day his age went from five to six. Sephy came to the conclusion that General Kinneas was informing them every time his age changed, because there was no way they could remember every year. Then again, they seemed to like giving him a good beating, so maybe this was like a holiday for them.

The class took a test, and Sephy finished first. He handed in his paper and heard a few nasty comments from the sixteen year olds in the front row. He groaned softly and left the classroom, looking every way possible to make sure an attack wasn't coming. He walked to a quiet area and leaned against a wall, sighing deeply and closing his eyes in thought. But then, a shadow fell over him. His eyes snapped open and he exhaled in relief when he saw Garamonde-sensei standing in front of him.

"Good morning, Sephiroth," Garamonde sensei said with a smile. "Did class go well?"

"Yes, sensei."

"I am glad to hear it. It is good to see students who are so well rounded. You are good with school and good with the sword."

"Thank you, sensei."

But Garamonde could tell that the boy didn't believe him. It's not that Sephy didn't think he could trust Garamonde-sensei. Sadly, the truth of the matter was that everyone else in this place had so thoroughly destroyed his self esteem that no compliment could ease him now. Garamonde felt uncomfortable standing with the little boy, for it was like being next to a robot or a statue. General Kinneas saw to it that just about every emotion and individual thought was beaten out of the young boy. And the other boys saw to it that he felt completely isolated and unimportant.

"Sephiroth, you truly are my best student. You get better everyday. Even at your young age you manage to do so much better than many of the older boys. I think you're the only one capable of moving on to newer things."

Sephiroth looked up at him slowly. "Thank you, sensei," he said again, without a hint of life returning to his features. "I will practice everyday."

Garamonde sighed very softly to himself before leaving to teach his next class. Sephy only stood there and let the breeze flow through his long silver hair, which was tied into a ponytail that fell against his mid-back. He felt the cold breeze as it hit his scalp, and it was as if the wind wanted to undo the tie that held his hair. But he tightened it, and headed for his barrack.

_Why are you going there? They will hurt you!_ came the woman's voice. It boomed in Sephiroth's head now, and he was tired of hearing her so much.

"Stop talking to me. You're hurting my head," he said to her in his mind.

_Oh, but you must do something about them. Vile creatures... all of them!_

Sephiroth was starting to get angry. His days were normally bad, but he just couldn't let it roll off today. He couldn't let it go and he couldn't just drown in sorrow. He was angry. The fact that his age changed only reminded him of how much more torture everyone would inflict on him for the coming year.

As he walked to the barrack he passed his reflection in the dark window of one of the buildings. He continued walking, noting the fact that he didn't look as angry as he felt. General Kinneas had punished him every time he showed an emotion. Every time he seemed to feel! And the other boys could feel what they wanted! He hated Kinneas!

_You hate them..._

"Stop talking!"

_Hate them!_

"Why am I so angry!? It's you who is making me angry!"

_HATE THEM!_

Sephiroth's eyes started to glow bright green, and when he walked through the door of the barrack he saw the group of boys gathering to show their hatred of him. He continued to walk to his bed, his face showing no emotion. But his heart... his heart was beating fast.

"Looks like the pussy thought it would be a smart idea to come back," said one of the boys.

"Stay away from me," Sephiroth said, glaring at them.

"Well look who grew a pair of balls and decided to stand up for himself!" another boy said as they approached him.

Then the punches came. Sephy landed on the floor hard as the group swarmed around him. And this year, they didn't bother counting.

"You worthless sack of shit!" one of the boys yelled.

"Pussy!" called another.

"Fucking cum dumpster! We should give you to the older faggots!"

"Yea, I bet he'd like that! Right pussy?!"

"Maggot!"

"Worthless shithead!"

"Whore!"

"Bitch!"

"WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!"  
_Kill._  
"WE WANT YOU TO FUCKING DIE!"  
_Kill..._  
"GENERAL KINNEAS TELLS US WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT US!"  
_KILL THEM!_  
"Yea, and you should see the stuff he gives us for beating your ass!"  
_KILL THEM NOW!_

"This whole barrack is made up of guys who swore they wouldn't mind beating ass on command. Doesn't matter if it's a baby or a little bitch girl like yourself! It's all a huge set up to make your life a living hell. The worst of us were put here on purpose. Kinneas thought you should know that!"

_NOW!!!!!!!!!!_

Sephiroth shook violently, and they started to laugh at him for crying. But then... he grabbed the wrists of one of the boys. They went to hit him again, but some of them drew back when they saw the fierce glowing green gaze that slowly rose from the floor. Sephiroth wasn't crying now. He was laughing. But it wasn't normal laughter. He laughed like a crazy little child... like a maniac. It was so horrifying to see the little six year old with such an eerie gaze. Some of the braver boys went to hit him again, but he blocked their attacks and stood up slowly.

"I told you to leave me alone..." Sephiroth said, his glowing gaze burning through them. He started to laugh again, but this time, his voice seemed to echo and bounce off the walls.

Most of the boys found that they were somewhat afraid now. It was as though the little boy suddenly turned into a monster. They watched as his eyes darted from one of them to another. Few of them had ever seen such fierce mako eyes, and none of them knew that he possessed the mako radiation throughout his body. The glow was never apparent until now.

"Shut up you little fucker!" one of the boys said, annoyed with himself for backing down.

Sephiroth turned to him slowly, and when he did, the boy felt a sudden swell of fear. He went to punch Sephiroth in the face, but the little boy caught his hand. The boy got angry, but soon he had other things to worry about. He started to scream and he tried to pull away desperately.

"Get 'im offa me!!!!" the older boy yelled. "Get 'im off!"

The boys moved forward quickly and tried to pull Sephiroth away. But none of them could have expected what would happen next. Sephiroth, his eyes glowing, burst into flames. The boy in his grasp screamed and Sephiroth let go. But it was too late for him. It was too late for all of them. Fire ripped through their bodies and left no part of them untouched. Those of them who could still see saw Sephiroth, laughing in madness in the center of the flames. The silver-haired little boy remained untouched by the flames that seemed to surround his body. The other boys screamed and cried and some tried to run. But everything around them was on fire. The fire seemed to follow them. It seemed to have no end.

Sephiroth finally stopped laughing. He went to the area where his bed used to be, and he put his hand through a hole in the mattress and pulled out the materia Gast had given him last year. He then calmly walked out of the burning barrack, still untouched by the flames. Once outside, he collapsed into the arms of a fireman, his young features fading back to a tranquil look.

* * *

"Nurse, what is his condition?" 

"General Kinneas, I'm sorry about what happened. I heard he was the only survivor."

"Yes. I lost forty-four boys in that fire."

"Well, Sephiroth is completely unharmed. He just seems exhausted."

"He was inside the building while it was burning."

"Inside? How did he--"

"Live? Walk out unharmed? I was hoping someone could tell me that."

"I was told that he arrived here with materia with him."

"Is that what caused the fire?"

"From the look of the materia, it hasn't been activated in some time. Experts here aren't even sure it works. Mr. Garamonde took it and said he would keep an eye on it."

General Kinneas felt the anger boiling inside of him. He lost so many people in that fire. It wasn't as though he gave a damn about them though. He was more worried about people questioning the fire. It was then that a cold hand touched his shoulder.

"Let me examine him," a man said.

Kinneas turned around to see a man with long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore glasses and a white lab coat, and his eyes and smile were positively suspicious. It took the general a moment to realize who he was.

"Dr. Hojo," Kinneas said. "You're the one who sent him here."

"Yes. I came as soon as I heard what happened," Hojo said, heading for Sephiroth's room. "They summoned me to find out why my toy could walk out of a burning building unharmed."

Hojo entered Sephy's room and saw him resting peacefully in bed. His angelic little features shifted slightly, as if he were dreaming. But even though his eyes were closed, Hojo could make out the faint green glow coming from beneath his eyelids.

"Dr. Hojo," a couple of the doctors called to him. "It's an honor seeing you here!"

"A pleasure," Hojo said, still staring at the boy.

Silence hung in the air for a moment before the other doctor's gasped. "What is that?" they said at once.

"What is it?" Hojo asked, walking closer to take a look at the X-ray scans they were holding.

"We took X-rays of his arms, because we felt something hard in the region of each wrist. We thought it might be an old injury or fracture or even a tumor."

Hojo blinked and looked at the scans. There he saw a tiny, round, solid substance in each of little Sephy's wrists. His eyes widened and he walked over to Sephy's resting form. He gently pressed against the boy's wrists.

Sephy suddenly shifted. "Leave... me alone," he muttered, as if he were dreaming about the boys from the barrack.

Suddenly Hojo's sleeve caught fire, but only for an instant. He let his eyes trail over Sephy's wrist again, and caught a slight glimmer.

"Materia," Hojo said softly. "The mako radiation in the boy's body has condensed in certain areas. Sephiroth is the one who started the fire."

"How is that possible?!" one of the doctors exclaimed. "I've heard of no other cases like this."

"Nor have I, though it has been a theory," Hojo said. "It looks like I'll have to extend my stay here to examine this further."

It was at that moment that Sephy's eyes opened slowly. He turned his head and saw his very first tormentor. He felt as though his life could end right then and there.

* * *

_You did it. You should be proud._

"What?"

_People will think twice about bothering you know._

"Why?"

_Because you killed them..._

"What? Who?"

_Those boys. You killed them._

"I didn't kill anyone."

_You burned them all to a crisp._

"Stop telling me lies."

_Don't you remember?_

"No, because you're lying."

_Let me show you what I saw through your eyes._

"These... these thoughts... These images... I see fire. It's so hot. I see the other boys... No... No!"

_Aren't you proud of yourself?_

"NO! Make the fire stop!"

_Silly boy, this has already happened. I'm simply showing you memories._

"I didn't want to!"

_It serves them right. You made the vermin pay._

The nurses were startled when Sephiroth sat up screaming. "I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! I didn't want to! I didn't want to!" He held his head and screamed as if in terrible pain. "No! Make the fire stop! Make it stop!"

"It's okay, Sephy," one of the nurses said softly. "Don't worry."

"Get away from me!" he screamed, terrified that he might hurt someone else. He jumped out of bed and ran for the door, but someone stood in his way.

"Stupid boy," Hojo muttered, glaring down at him. "Look what you did. Forty-four young boys dead because of your carelessness."

"No..." Sephy murmured. "No..."

"You've hardly grown up at all," Hojo said, pushing Sephy back towards the bed. "If you don't learn to control you emotions, you'll end up hurting more people. The skin on some of those boys boiled horribly before they died. The ones who were burnt to crisps were luckier."

Much to Hojo's surprise, Sephy didn't cry. Instead he stared forward, playing the images over and over in his mind.

"It wasn't my fault..." Sephy murmured. "It wasn't. It was like... magic... Bad magic."

"Magic?!" Hojo laughed bitterly. "Haven't you learned anything?! Never use such unscientific terms for anything. There is no such thing as magic. There is no such thing as a soul, for that matter. There is nothing that can save you... nothing besides yourself. There is nothing mystical in this world. Everything can and will be explained. As for the fire, the mako energy in your body has condensed in certain areas. You have small spheres of materia in your wrists which you set off when you killed those boys."

Sephy looked at his wrists sadly.

"I'm sure you remember your lessons on materia," Hojo continued. "Mako energy comes from the planet... it helps the planet live. Condensed mako turns into materia. Materia possesses the energy of the elements. In your body's case, the materia holds the fire element. But the interesting thing is that we have only been able to condense mako into materia in reactors. Why your body did it remains a mystery... for now."

Sephy didn't like the sound of that... He knew what it meant. It meant that he would become Hojo's experiment again. He would get another sterile room and be placed on more sterile operating tables again and again... And he strongly doubted that his military training would end.

"General Kinneas will assign you new living quarters," Hojo said flatly. "It looks like you're making a tiny bit of progress after all... when it comes to you being an interesting experiment for me. I will be back next week to begin my studies."

Sephiroth watched Hojo turn to leave, just as General Kinneas' heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Soon Sephiroth found himself in another room, in a barrack far from the other children. At least while they were abusing him, he still had others around. Now he only had silence. He couldn't figure out which was better...

* * *

The next week, a large crate was shipped in from Nibelheim. It was taken straight to ShinRa headquarters, not far from the military youth base. 

"Bring it down," one of the workmen called. "Bring it down slow!"

They slowly started to lower the crate onto a large elevator platform that would lower it down to one of the basement levels.

"Slowly. You got it. Slow. Good job, just like that."

Suddenly, the whole crate shifted. The men suddenly jumped back as the force of the shift sent the whole massive crate swaying from side to side.

"Be careful!" one man called to the machinery operators.

"It wasn't us!" they called back.

Suddenly a loud, anguished scream could be heard from inside the crate. Most of the men slowly stepped away as they heard pounding on the walls of the crate from inside. Again, the screams came.

"Shit," one of the men muttered. "What the hell is going on? How'd someone get trapped in there?"

And then came the loud scratching sound. The men looked at each other, questioning what it could possibly be. One man walked a little closer, intending to see if the person inside could hear him. But he stopped in his tracks as a large, clawed hand burst from the side of the metal crate.

"What the--?!"

Suddenly they were all running. Two red eyes glared through the hole in the wall of the crate. And soon... the creature inside made the hole bigger... and bigger...

* * *

Sephiroth sat there on his bed in the dark. He let his little fingers run over the metal of the gun again and again. When it came to firing a gun, no one was better than General Kinneas. There was talk about how sharp their eyes were when it came to gunplay in the Kinneas family. Every boy in the family learned how to shoot with deadly accuracy. And now General Kinneas had provided Sephy with his own gun. 

Sephy sat there, loading and unloading, again and again, over and over. He sat there, filling his mind with the mindless task until there was a knock at his door. And then, General Kinneas stepped through slowly, closing the door behind him. Sephiroth stood and saluted him as he should.

Kinneas slowly walked over to him, and little Sephy could smell the alcohol on him. He didn't know what to do when Kinneas lifted him up and lied him on his bed after sliding the gun and the bullets to the floor. The little boy stared up at the ceiling in confusion as the general rested his body on top of him.

"I'm going to shove it up your ass little boy," Kinneas hissed in his ear. "And it's gonna burn."

Suddenly Sephiroth remembered the stories he had been told about the boogie man burning bad little boys from the inside. Then he remembered the images he had seen in the magazines of the older boys, and he remembered their odd stories. And now... he violently pushed on General Kinneas, trying to push him off of his young body.

"No!" Sephy yelled.

"Shut up, boy! Don't you forget who is your superior!"

Sephy tried to yell, but instead he found his mouth covered by Kinneas'. He felt the disgusting way Kinneas' tongue slid into his mouth. Soon Sephy found himself trying to call on the fire in his body. But he couldn't concentrate. So again, he pushed, and this time, Kinneas flew off the bed and slammed against the wall.

Sephy jumped up and ran outside. He slipped in the mud a few times, but he kept going. He ran this way and that, and he knew that Kinneas was on his tail. He didn't know what to do though, because he couldn't think of anyone who might want to help him. He thought of Garamonde-sensei, but he had no idea where Garamonde was located.

General Kinneas couldn't figure out how the little boy was moving so fast. It was as if he would disappear into the darkness at some points due to his speed. But Kinneas continued to follow him. Finally, little Sephy made a wrong turn and found himself cornered in a dead end between two large buildings. Kinneas smirked darkly at him and approached slowly. Sephiroth suddenly looked horrified, and he backed up against the wall. Kinneas laughed as the little boy tried desperately to climb the wall somehow.

But a low growl from behind Kinneas told him that he wasn't the one Sephiroth was afraid of. Kinneas turned to see a mouth full of sharp fangs, dripping with red. A large creature towered above him in the darkness, its eyes the color of blood.

* * *

The next morning, officers found Sephy shaking with fear in the alley. There were claw marks on the walls that looked like they had been made by some large beast. They also found General Kinneas. His arm was by the entrance to the alley. His intestines lined the walls. And his head rested by Sephiroth with a horrified expression in its dead eyes. 

But what was more surprising was the third man they found. He had long black hair, and he was practically skin and bones. Scars covered his entire body, and he sat there completely nude, holding terrified little Sephiroth in his arms. When authorities called to the man he looked up, and they saw his eyes, the color of blood. He looked at them with hate-filled eyes. And before they could question him more, a group of Turks and other high agents of the ShinRa government rushed in and took him away.

"No!" the man yelled before he was pulled from Sephiroth. His gaze met Sephiroth's suddenly. "I see you in my dreams. I have watched you since you were young. You were on every monitor in that lab. I heard you crying at night. I saw you suffering. Like her... you suffered as an experiment like her! Your mother...! Don't let them lie to you Sephiroth! Hojo is the devil and he's shown me hell! You should be mine! Just as she should have been!" They pulled the man away as he continued to scream. "YOU BOTH SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINE!!!!"

---To Be Continued---


	6. Tenderness

Warning: Violence, sexual situations, rape.

**Eternal Fall: part VI: Tenderness**

_My, you look very handsome today._

"I had etiquette training. They made me put this suit on. They say I have to be polite and dignified at every single second. Never showing weakness."

_I like you better in your military uniform._

"You like it when I have to do violent things... I think you're really a ghost who is haunting me."

_You were watching the pretty lady who was dancing. You were thinking naughty things._

"I was not!"

_You're seven now, but you already know about human reproduction. It's in those books of yours. You probably find it fascinating like most humans. And I know you've heard the other boys talking during training. You've seen their dirty pictures too._

"I think they're gross!"

_Do you? Are you sure you wouldn't like to try?_

"Yes, I'm sure. Now leave me alone for the rest of the day!"

A knock brought little Sephy back to reality.

"Sephiroth?" Garamonde sensei called.

Sephy opened the barrack door and stood at attention. "Yes sensei!"

"Good, I see you haven't changed for practice yet. I want you to take the day off from sword training. We have some new recruits joining today. You're too good to be in the class as it is, and you will probably find it even less challenging than normal with so many new people. Besides, seeing a seven year old with such skill will probably frighten them into thinking I require too much."

"I understand, sensei," Sephy said. But to be honest, he had no idea what to do with himself now. Just last week his firearm instructor told him that he only had to come in once or twice a week, since he managed to hit the target perfectly most of the time. When he didn't shoot it perfectly, it was usually close enough to do massive amounts of damage anyway. And he was already a blackbelt in martial arts.

"So what are you going to do today?" Garamonde asked.

"I will go ask to be added to another martial arts class," Sephy nodded.

"But you're already a blackbelt."

"Only in two forms of martial arts."

Garamonde sighed softly. "Sephiroth, I want you to take the day off. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You are only seven. Take the day off and relax."

Sephiroth nodded and looked back at his mountain of books.

"I know you like reading, but perhaps you should do something else. Try listening to music or making something."

"A bomb?"

"N... no. Something like art or music or poetry."

Sephiroth blinked and then turned to look back at his sterile, empty little barrack. He thought for a moment then turned back to Garamonde sensei. "I will... paint."

"Good. Remember, it is not required that you do this for me. I simply want you to relax. If that means sleeping or meditating, then so be it. But when you get time off, do not go to class or work. And since you do not require practice, do not practice. Simply relax." Garamonde's eyes drifted to the corner of the room. "Is that... is that a bomb? An actual bomb sitting in your room?"

"It is unarmed, sensei."

Garamonde only nodded, quickly glancing around to the rest of the room to make sure there was nothing else potentially life threatening.

"Oh yes!" Garamonde said. "I have something that belongs to you." He handed Sephiroth the materia Dr. Gast had given him. "I took it after the fire incident, so they would not think to take it away. I know I've had it for over a year, but I wanted to make sure they would not think to link it with the fire or with you."

Sephiroth took it, his eyes lighting up. He had no idea what happened to it, and he assumed it was lost in the fire. He heard people saying that he exited the burning building with the materia, but he had no memory of it. He only had what the nameless voice, the so-called guardian angel, showed him from her memories... or his. He rolled the red sphere around in his hands, thanking Garamonde softly. Garamonde smiled, and left little Sephy to ponder his treasure.

* * *

"Dr. Hojo?" Sephy asked softly as he sat on the operating table. "What was my mother like?" 

Hojo's actions seemed to slow, and he stared at the floor. "Did someone say something to you?" he asked lowly.

"Yes. The man with the red eyes. The one from the basement."

Hojo whipped around and glared at the boy, who only stared back at him defiantly.

"Who is he?" Sephy said, in a tone as demanding as his little voice would allow.

"He is no one. And no one knows anything of your mother."

"I will find him and ask him myself!"

Hojo walked up until he was face to face with Sephy. "Jenova," he hissed. "Your mother's name was Jenova. She died giving birth to you. It is your fault she is dead. There is nothing more to say about her. Nothing more is known."

"And the man with the red eyes?" Sephy asked, softening somewhat.

"He volunteered to be an experiment. Pay no attention to anything he has ever said or done. If word gets out about him, the ShinRa will kill him... and you... and everyone associated with you. Now get out of my sight. We are done for the day."

Sephy slid off of the operating table and walked to the door. He stopped and stood there for a moment, slowly turning around.

"What is it now?" Hojo asked, not having to turn around to know that Sephy was still in the room.

"Even if he did ask to be an experiment, I doubt he asked for you to be his boogie man," Sephy said bitterly before leaving.

Hojo growled lowly in anger, but continued to gather his paperwork together. The boy remembered everything, and he knew too much. But there was nothing Hojo could do now. Sephiroth was showing improvement as a soldier, and ShinRa's biological weapon was coming along nicely as well. With both projects so far along, he had to be careful... especially since both projects knew about each other.

Hojo took the elevator to one of the lowest basement levels and approached the darkest, largest cell.

"You've come for me again..." came the hoarse whisper from the darkness.

"What did you tell Sephiroth about his mother?" Hojo demanded.

"I only told him the truth. That she was an experiment... just like him. Just like me..."

"You could have run away, yet you chose to seek him out?" Hojo said with a dark grin.

"He... is a part of her... All that is left... of Lucrecia... But even her name is gone... He does not know her name..."

"And he never shall," Hojo said flatly. "I told him his mother's name was Jenova. Which is not truly a lie."

"It is a lie!" the man roared as he slowly approached the bars like a shadow. He suddenly felt the tranquilizer dart hit his arm, but he only laughed lowly. "You want me again...? You turned me into a monster... yet you still use my body... again and again. What in your life led you to believe that you could play as a god or that this control over people makes you in any way important?"

Hojo tossed the dart gun to the side and typed something into a keypad on the wall. A beam scanned his fingerprints and his right eye, and soon the cell door was open. He stepped inside and stood in front of the nude man, who was slowly slumping to the ground.

"For some reason," Hojo said, stripping himself of his labcoat and the rest of his clothing. "For some reason, I enjoy watching you suffer. Why is it that of all the human beings on this planet, I hate you more than anyone? Even hearing your name makes me want to see you bleed more."

"And who still knows of my name?" the man laughed bitterly.

"The Turks still speak of you," Hojo said, as he knelt down and forced the man onto his stomach. "They still speak of Vincent Valentine and his disappearance, especially after that stunt you pulled when you killed Ethan Kinneas. Some of them still talk about the red eyes of Vincent Valentine, and they wonder why the man found with young Sephiroth in that alley looked so much like the missing Vincent Valentine."

"Because I am that man still," Vincent whispered as Hojo's weight fell on top of him. "You cannot take my name or my soul from me. Even when I transform into that beast, Vincent Valentine still lives in me."

"No, Vincent," Hojo muttered in the tortured man's ear. "Soon there will be nothing left of you at all. You will enter the battlefield as the pathetic man that you are, and you will transform into that beast and kill. Women and children, all dead at your feet. But what does it matter to a man who was once ShinRa's top assassin?"

Vincent remained on the cold floor, Hojo's weight crushing him to the ground. He closed his eyes, his head turned to the side. But his body betrayed him, and tears slowly escaped his eyes. And to heighten the emotional pain and the endless guilt, Hojo entered his body roughly, tearing into him. Vincent clenched his teeth and let out a slow groan of pain. But once again, his body betrayed him... He felt himself arch back against his tormentor, welcoming the abuse. He didn't fight as he used to when Hojo used his body. The act made him feel disgusting, it hurt his now frail body, and it increased his hatred. But at the same time, his body desperately wanted to feel the touch of another human being. Even when Hojo raped him, part of him welcomed it after feeling the pain of metal, electricity, drugs, needles, and whatever else was used to experiment on him. And the worst pain came from his transformations, which made him scream in agony. His mind changed as well, during those transformations. His flesh ached, his insides seemed to expand and contract back again. Yes, he hated it when Hojo sank into him, and he hated Hojo's wandering mouth and hands... but it was the closest thing to warmth in his life now.

Hojo smiled to himself, feeling Vincent's surrender. Even looking at the raven-haired man made him feel triumphant. Vincent was once strong, with a toned body and an icy exterior. But now, he was skin and bones, and his dark hair had grown so long that it could easy cover his shamed red eyes. Every time Hojo thrust into him, he grunted and groaned, but his body kept asking for more abuse. Vincent's cries of pain were betrayed by the arch of his form.

"Why," Hojo whispered in his ear. "Why haven't you killed yourself?"

Vincent rested for a moment as Hojo slowed his assault to wait for an answer. He gasped for air before responding.

"Because..." he said very softly. "Because I would go to hell for all my sins..."

Suddenly Hojo stopped. "There is no hell," he growled. "This is your hell, Valentine! You want to believe in an afterlife so that you can tell yourself that your dear Lucrecia found peace?" Hojo laughed. "The truth of that matter is that she saw hell before she died, and that was the end of her!"

Vincent couldn't find the words to defend Lucrecia, or himself. He whimpered softly as Hojo finished inside of him. And when Hojo pulled out, he remained there on the floor, sorting out his burning thoughts. He heard Hojo clothe himself and walk away in a fit of laughter.

"This cannot be it..." Vincent said to himself as he sat up slowly. "There cannot be this much pain only for there to be nothing later. It could never be this final... And even if that must be for me... Lucrecia... you... you can't just..."

He sadly rubbed his aching body, and much to his horror, he realized that his body had provided him the ultimate betrayal. He felt his own semen against his skin and realized that in some twisted way, he had enjoyed what Hojo had done to him.

If he had the means, he would have killed himself then. The promise of nothingness was beginning to sound merciful after all.

* * *

Sephy sat there, rolling his red materia from one hand to the other. He sat there in meditation, his mind wandering to the fire that rested in his body. It was then that he felt the materia grow warmer. He opened his eyes and stared at it, seeing what looked like a small flicker of fire inside. He grasped it gently and took a closer look. Something grew warm inside of his chest, and he felt as though he could feel something reaching out to him. Once again, he closed his eyes and focused on the shining materia. He let his thoughts penetrate it, and he felt as though he could move his energy into it. It was as though the materia could become a part of him. He searched within himself... and he searched within the materia, and finally he found something. He found fire burning brightly. It was as though he could see it in his thoughts and feel it in his heart. It was warm and inviting, and it was as though he could actually know what it meant to be fire. It was as though he could extend part of himself to become fire. 

Sephy sat there for hours, holding the materia to his heart. Once he had fully explored the essence of fire, he rested, only to find that the materia held secrets of ice and lightning as well. He searched all of these elements with his heart and soul until he fell asleep, completely exhausted.

The next day, due to his outstanding and advanced performance, Sephy was issued materia for battle. But once again they would find that they'd have to give Sephy something else to work on. As soon as they handed him his first lightning materia and placed him on the practice field, he hit every target. Hojo hid his surprise as he watched, as did most of the other officers. They moved him around the field, and even provided him targets that were hard to see or much too far away. He destroyed all of them. And all the while, Sephy thought his progress was normal. He thought it was the red materia Gast had given him that helped him so much. He had no idea how much power it took to search the secrets of the materia in the first place. He had no idea that other soldiers took years to make this much progress. And for the sake of keeping their control over him, no one said a word about it.

* * *

Sephy took a walk around the barracks that night, and his mind wandered to Dr. Gast. He wanted to tell Gast about his progress, and about the fact that he might be doing pretty well. He was beginning to truly miss the kind man, and he realized that it had been around two years since he saw him last. He looked up at the starless sky and tried to keep himself from wondering if anything bad had happened. But then, he grew even more upset. 

_What's wrong?_

"He stopped coming to see me..."

_But you hardly knew him. Forget him._

"I can't... He treated me differently. He made me happy."

_But he stopped coming. He doesn't care about you. He was only checking up on an old experiment. Didn't you know? He helped Dr. Hojo create you. He helped find Jenova._

"My mother?"

_Yes... Of course. Your mother._

"No... but... he was so nice to me. He liked me!"

_Another experiment. He was probably testing you to see how you reacted._

"No!"

_Only I care about you._

"No! Why?! Why must they all hate me?!"

Sephiroth tried to block the mysterious woman's voice from his mind. His chest felt tight and his head hurt as the tension built inside of him. But it couldn't be true! Dr. Gast would have to come back to see him... wouldn't he?!

The little boy ran to the lab to demand Hojo tell him something. He had to know who he was, and why he was there. He wanted to know about his past... his parents... Dr. Gast... anything at all! But the lab was dark, and he couldn't see anyone. He ran to the elevator and checked another floor, but still nothing. He pounded his little fist against the elevator wall, leaving a large dent. His green eyes started to glow as his emotions took hold, and it took him a moment to compose himself and to notice that the elevator access card was left inside of the slot. Wanting answers to his questions, he wasted no time in hitting the button to get him to the basement level.

Once he reached the basement, he ran through the doors looking for Hojo with complete determination. But he found that Hojo wasn't there, and in a secluded area he angrily knocked some of the paperwork from the table. He then kicked the side of the table, breaking the leg of it instantly. It came crashing to the floor.

"So much noise..." came a low voice. "Must you make my headache worse, young one?"

Sephy looked over towards the dark, secluded cell. He recognized the voice inside. It was that same deep voice, with the words that flowed like poetry even though the man had no accent. It was the man with the red eyes.

"What is your name?" Sephy asked as he approached the bars of the cell. "You saved me before..."

The top of the man's head rested by the bars, and the rest of his body stretched out into the darkness of the cell. He was lying on his side on the cold floor. Some of his long raven hair passed through the bars to Sephy's side of the cell.

"Vincent..." the man said, as if he didn't care what was said or what happened if he said it. "Now, if you please, leave me. Talking only increases my pain, as it seems to take energy to even speak for long."

"I'll be quiet," Sephy whispered softly. "Can I stay?"

Vincent shifted uncomfortably on the hard floor. "You may. But forgive me if I do not remain conscious for long..."

Sephy wanted to ask if Vincent knew anything, but he could tell that Vincent was in no mood to talk. He also wanted to get Vincent away from here, but he knew there was nothing he could do. No one would listen to him, no one would care. He only watched as Vincent tried to rest there in the cold, with nothing covering his body. Without much thought, he passed his hand through the bars and touched Vincent's hair. He ran his little fingers through it gently, as Gast had done to him once. At first he remained alert, wondering if Vincent might try to rip his hand off. But Vincent remained still. Sephy thought he had fallen asleep until the man let out a long sigh.

"Am I bothering you?" Sephy whispered.

To his surprise, Vincent sat up and faced him. Vincent's red eyes held a softer expression than the one Sephy had seen long ago, and the man rested his forehead against the bars of his cell.

"Thank you," Vincent whispered, his eyes closed. "You have a good heart, Sephiroth. Do not let anyone make it as cold and hard as my own."

Sephy moved closer to the bars and stretched his thin arms through them, gently wrapping them around Vincent's shoulders and hugging him the best he could. After a moment of silence, Vincent did the same. They remained like that for a long time, giving each other the kindness and warmth that they had been denied. That is why Sephiroth wasn't afraid. He knew Vincent needed that warmth, just as he did. Finally Vincent pulled away gently.

"I must rest," he said, his voice failing to hide his pain.

"I will come see you again," Sephy whispered.

"No, Sephiroth. I am afraid that our paths will not cross again."

"...Why?"

"Because... Hojo has other plans for me. Tomorrow he will move me to some other place... and take the last of me that is human."

Sephy winced when Vincent cringed in pain.

"Go now..." Vincent whispered. "Be... good..."

Sephy slowly stood and backed away. "I will see you again," he whispered before leaving. Vincent's hug still lingered on his body throughout the night.

* * *

The boy is making progress, is he?" President ShinRa asked. 

"More than we could have ever hoped for. The Jenova cells combined with the Mako radiation treatments have helped him to excel in anything he takes up. And that doesn't even begin to explain his accelerated intelligence and high IQ, which mako and Jenova should have no affect over. I suggest that we continue to use Jenova's cells in the military."

"Thank you for your input, Dr. Hojo," the president grinned. "The SOLDIER branch of the military will continue to grow, and I authorize the continued use of the men in SOLDIER for your experiments."

"I also ask that Jenova herself be moved to the reactor at Nibelheim," Hojo said. "It is a quiet, out of the way place. No one suspects that anything happens there, even though your mansion is there."

"That sounds acceptable. Oh, and what of our biological weapon?"

"Vincent is still very unstable. I think the Jenova project will yield better results."

"I see. And we are running low on funds. Well then, see that Mr. Valentine is properly disposed of."

"I understand," Hojo grinned darkly.

---To Be Continued---


	7. Innocence

WARNING: VIOLENCE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS, RAPE, CHILD ABUSE, DISTURBING IMAGERY 

**Eternal Fall: part VII: Innocence**

For a week, none of his teachers or instructors came to get him when he didn't show up for class or training. They left him alone after being informed of the experiment Hojo put him through for a month straight. Apparently his attention started slipping in class for that month, but no one knew what was going on until recently. They found out that on the last day of the mysterious experiment, Sephiroth seemed to shut down completely, not speaking or moving.

After leaving him alone for a week, instructor Garamonde went to the hospital at ShinRa headquarters to check on him. He found the young boy staring lifelessly at the ceiling, and even the glow in his green eyes seemed dead. But in the physical sense, he was conscious and perhaps even alert in some way. Occasionally he would whisper some inaudible word. It sounded strangely like the word "transcend." Soon Garamonde was asked to leave, because he wasn't wearing proper fire protection. The nurses were afraid that Sephiroth might somehow trigger his fire ability if they weren't careful. But there seemed little hope that the boy would do much at all.

Sephy was awake, and somehow he knew that. But he didn't care. He didn't want to get up or move ever again. His whole vision of what life could be... his whole vision of what he could be... everything was gone now. His head was so filled with his own silent screams and a storm of torment, and it was so bad that he couldn't even hear the voice of his self-proclaimed guardian angel.

It all started a month ago, when Hojo told Sephy to meet him at the lab for a normal check-up. Sephy ran the few miles from the boys' military base to ShinRa headquarters, which is what he did the last night he saw Vincent. He was able to let himself into the lab because most people knew who he was, and they knew he was completely obedient. He had his own little card key so he wouldn't have to disturb anyone, but of course it didn't go to the basement levels or the levels at the very top where President ShinRa usually roamed.

Hojo took little Sephy to one of the deepest basement levels and told him to sit in the chair in the middle of the room. Sephy obeyed, but felt a chill crawl over him when Hojo strapped his wrists and ankles to the metal chair. And then, for extra insurance, Sephy's wrists and ankles were even handcuffed. The little boy sighed in frustration, but thought it was nothing out of the ordinary. He was usually tied down because they feared what he would do during some of the experiments. He didn't understand why though, because he hardly thought of himself as a dangerous person. But there was something new to this experiment. Sephy suddenly bucked in his chair when a white hot pain tore through him. It stopped almost as quickly as it came. He turned to see that Hojo was watching him from a large glass window in a connected room. Hojo was sitting in front of some computer panel, and he smirked at Sephy as he began to speak through a microphone.

"That, my boy, was a taste of electricity. It takes a massive amount to phase you, but I know it can still hurt you. You haven't quite mastered that element as well as the others yet. The reason you are hooked up like this is simple. I will show you a series of movies and video clips, and if you close your eyes to block out the images, I will shock you. So it would be most beneficial for you to keep your eyes open. You will do this for another month or so."

Sephy just nodded, thinking the rules were simple enough. He stared at the large screen in front of him.

The first few clips were of various animals being slaughtered for food. Sephy winced a few times, but for the most part, he found it interesting. He had wondered what it took to get the food from the range to his plate. He watched intently for the next hour. He did feel bad for the animals that were bled while they were alive and the animals that were bashed over the head or skinned, but he made sure not to show Hojo that he had any feelings towards what he was watching. He still had nightmares about General Kinneas coming back to life and trying to kill him for showing the slightest emotion.

The next round of clips were of surgeries. Sephy shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and there were a couple times when he got shocked from trying to shut out the images. It wasn't that the blood bothered him. He had just never seen so much of it, and he hadn't seen bodies cut open like that. But he did have many anatomy books, so it wasn't a complete shock. But the still images in books just aren't as graphic.

Sephy sighed and wondered what value these tests could possibly have. He could only guess that the ShinRa and Hojo wanted to see if he was easily disgusted. But his mind changed when he saw two little girls playing together on the screen. He stared in wonder at their sheer delight. They played and laughed as their father video taped them. They twirled around in circles and chased the family dog around. They never stopped laughing. They played together and sang together. They weren't expected to do anything else but have fun. That was it. Nothing was expected of them at all. Happiness was all they knew. Sephy felt something well up inside of him... some lost emotions that he quickly shoved back into the depths of his heart and mind. It was then that the person videotaping shut the camera off.

A deep breath passed through Sephy's lips, and for a moment he forgot where he was. He felt as though he were there with them, and it was almost exhausting to watch the little girls play. He sat back in his chair and sighed deeply again, almost feeling a sense of satisfaction after watching them.

"That will be all for today," Hojo said, as he walked into the room and released Sephy from his bonds.

Sephy nodded and left quickly without saying a word to Hojo. His mind was filled with the images of those little girls. He ran all the way back to his barrack, thinking of them and the way they twirled and played. He would have done some twirling himself if he wasn't always paranoid that his superiors were watching him.

He changed in his barrack, went off to eat in the cafeteria (alone,) and then returned to his barrack to think about the images he saw. He had easily handled the bloody animal slaughters and surgeries, but it was the images of innocence that stuck with him through the night. The emotions he felt for a brief moment in the lab started to rise in him again, but he shoved them back once more. But that took more and more effort as the night continued.

_Why do you think of those girls so often?_

"I... don't know."

_There must be a reason._

"There is something... Well... It's just that..."

_You want to play too?_

"Of course not. I'm a soldier. I don't have time for childish games."

_My, my. How well repeated. Didn't General Kinneas often tell you that?_

"Yes... he did. But it's true. I don't have time for... for... such things as that."

_Innocence?_

"Innocence... If that is what I see when I look at them, then no. I have no time for it."

* * *

Two days later after his first viewing, Sephy walked in for another round in front of the screen. 

This time the images caught him off guard. They were short scenes of death that chilled him to the bone. People getting hit by trains, people shot, people having heart attacks. All of these images were quick, but disturbing.

Next came an even bigger horror. He watched as a man pleaded for his life before being shot in the head at point blank range. Sephy's eyes shifted to Hojo, who was watching from the room next door. Hojo pointed to the screen and Sephy's gaze returned. He watched as blood literally shot out from the man's head as his body twitched on the ground. The man who shot him only laughed and kicked the dying body a few times. It was a long time before the body stopped moving. Sephy watched with disgust as the man with the gun acted as though he did nothing wrong. The man even urinated over the dead body. Sephy sat there, his lips parted as if he could yell at the man on the screen and make him stop. But who knew how long ago this happened?

The next clip was no better. Sephy's green eyes widened as he watched a group of three men attack a young woman. They stripped her of her clothing and beat her mercilessly. And then... Sephy shut his eyes, but the shock came quickly and suddenly. His eyes snapped open just as the first man pinned the woman to the ground. Sephy had never seen the act of love-making, but he knew that the act of making a child should look nothing like this. The woman thrashed against her attacker as he laughed and continued to use her. His body moved fast on top of her, and she was straining to breathe. Her screams hurt Sephy's ears, but he couldn't cover them with his bonds in place. When it was done, one of them pulled a knife from his clothing, and Sephy almost cried out when she was stabbed through the throat. The video clip stopped there.

"I'm think I'm going to vomit," Sephy said, trying to maintain his calm exterior.

"Swallow it," Hojo said over the speakers. "There is one more clip to go."

Sephy frowned, his stomach churning. But then, the screen flickered, and he saw two teenage boys sitting and laughing as they ate hamburgers. They joked and laughed about school and work and girls. Sephy saw the same radiance in them that he saw in the little girls he had watched a couple days ago. It was that same carefree, pure joy. Sephy thought he understood now. It was this joy he was meant to protect. He had to protect the innocence and laughter in the world from the people who committed crimes against others, like the man with the gun or the men who raped and killed the woman.

"That will be all for today," Hojo said.

* * *

Sephy walked home this time, wishing he could speak to the little girls and the teenage boys. He knew he would get along with people like them. He even made up his mind to meet them all one day. He didn't know what it would accomplish, but he had to do it. For a brief moment he imagined himself in the future as he met them. It didn't please him when his image of his future self was a skinny, short, weak young man. But maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't care. 

Sephy continued with Hojo's little experiment at the lab, but even the pleasant images that were played at the end of each session couldn't spare his feelings forever. His concentration started to slip and he started to eat less. In weapons training he only missed his target a few times, but that was enough to gain the attention of his superiors. His bullets strayed, his arrows strayed, his martial arts didn't have the power they used to and his materia spells were much weaker. It got to the point where he hesitated to hold any weapon at all. Whenever his instructors questioned him he only apologized.

Sephy couldn't help the way he felt. The crimes and horrors of the human race were tearing away at him. Every time he went into the lab Hojo would show him people getting beaten, raped, or slaughtered. Blood spilled everywhere and body parts littered so many of the video clips. After a couple weeks, Sephy's stomach stopped churning, but he found that he wasn't any less upset. People being tortured, pregnant women having their bellies slashed open, men forced to rape their family members, wives beaten to death by their husbands, the affects of bombs, electrical executions, and more and more and more. Sometimes Sephy would scream at the people on the screen.

"Put the camera down and do something!!!!" he yelled during one session.

"It is the way of things," Hojo said over the speaker. "Get used to seeing this. As a soldier you will see it all the time."

_Vile creatures!_ the woman's voice would sound in his head. _They are so vile. So disgusting. Evil little puppets without hearts!_

"I have to be stronger," Sephiroth said, loud enough for Hojo to hear him. He had only meant to respond to his guardian angel, but instead the words rushed through his mouth. "I have to be stronger and make sure these things never happen again..."

Hojo watched him for a while as Sephy seemed to be drawn to the images, leaning forward in his chair as far as the bonds would let him.

_Vile creatures, these humans..._

"Yes... It's vile... I must stop them…."

* * *

Sephy's dreams began to haunt him. He would often dream of the little girls he saw on his first day, or the teenage boys that often appeared in the pleasant ending images. He also saw many more people who were so filled with radiance and love and happiness. Hojo would always show him someone who was blissfully happy in the very last clip. It should have made him feel better, but it made things worse for him. Sephy would often dream that he was with those happy people, and that they liked him without question. But then he would wake up, and find himself in his lonely little barrack. So many painful feelings rushed to him then, but he always took a deep breath and tried to ignore them. His guardian angel often told him that she was helping to take those emotions away from him. Soon he started to believe her. But no matter what, he would always feel incredible pain after waking. He would feel loss... but for what, he couldn't tell. 

During his last session, Sephy started to watch the movie clips. But this time he wasn't bound to the chair. Hojo knew he would watch now without question. Sephy was too astonished by what people could do to each other. One thing Sephy did not expect, however, was the little white kitten that pranced around the room. Sephy looked at Hojo, but Hojo only shrugged and started the movie. Sephy sat down to watch, and before he knew it the kitten hopped onto his lap and rested there. Sephy smiled and gently began to pet the kitten. He guessed that Hojo wanted to see what he would do to the kitten if provoked, but Sephy had no intention of harming it in any way.

The first movie started, and Sephy sat there, eager for all of this torture to end. To his surprise, he saw the two teenage boys in the first clip.

"Okay!" one of them laughed. "Welcome to our video world! Here we have our first guest!"

"It's a feisty one! Full of energy!" the other boy said to the camera.

Sephy could hear their friend laughing from behind the camera, and he blinked curiously as the camera turned to another teen boy who looked like he was close to being in tears.

"Yep! We caught a live one!" the first boy laughed again. "Another fucking fag!"

"What'll we do today? Fuck him with a stick? Beat him with a bat?" asked the one behind the camera.

"No no no!" said the remaining boy, who stood there glaring down at the frightened teen. "Today, I think we'll hang him from a tree!"

Sephy shook his head in disbelief. It couldn't be! These boys were... happy. Why would they do this?! He wanted to meet them! He thought they were people who could be trusted. He couldn't believe they would do this. The boy they were harassing was defenseless!

"We got ourselves a rope right here," said one boy, as he held the rope up. "And we got ourselves a nice tree here," he said, pointing. "And we have ourselves a cock sucking fag here," he said, punching the boy in the face.

The noose was made and thrown around the boy's neck.

"Well, let's play a little game. Let's see how far we can lift a girly man off the ground, shall we?!"

Sephy shook his head slowly, hoping that this didn't really happen. Wishing that it was all some cruel joke. Some cruel experiment that was only meant to get to him. But when he saw them pull the rope... and when he saw the boy's feet leave the ground, he knew it was real. Those boys... were cold-blooded killers filled with hatred. And now, if Sephy ever met them, he would have to kill them!

The clip stopped, and Sephy was brought back to reality by the kitten shifting in his lap. Hojo walked in and took the little kitten away, telling Sephy that it was too much of a distraction.

The next clip came on after Hojo had sent the kitten away. Sephy's heart was still pounding from the last clip. He swallowed hard when he saw one of the two little girls come on the screen.

"Hi daddy!"

"Hi sweetie!"

"Whatcha doin' with that camera again?"

"Just making some home movies for your mommy."

"Mommy likes movies?"

"She sure does!"

The camera shut off for a moment, and then resumed. Sephy could tell that it was resting on something now, because now the little girl was sitting on her father's lap.

"Wave!" he said.

"Hi mommy! I love you!"

"Do you love daddy too?"

"Yes! I love you and mommy!"

The camera shut off and resumed again, and this time the girl was jumping on the bed.

"Bouncy bouncy!"

"You can jump high can't you?" her dad smiled as he knelt beside the bed.

"Yes! I'm going to grow up and fly to the moon! WOOSH!"

Sephy was relaxing now. He loved watching the little girl, but he wondered where the girl's sister was now. The camera shut off and resumed again. This time, the man sat on the bed with the little girl on his lap...

...both of them naked.

Sephy shut his eyes for a brief moment in frustration. The girl looked even younger than him... younger than his eight years. She sat on the man's lap facing the camera, and it seemed as though her bright eyes were staring straight at Sephy.

"Do you like it when daddy touches you here?"

"Yes..."

"It feels good?"

"Yes..."

"Do you want daddy to make it feel even better?"

"Uh huh..."

Sephy slid out of the chair and sank to his knees as the girl's screams tore through him. Her screaming, her crying, her begging... all of it ripped through him like a sword. Sephy's hand went over his own heart and clutched at the fabric there, as if the pain were too much. What had she done to deserve this?! Nothing! The man used her young body without a care in the world. He didn't care about her feelings and her screaming only drove him further. It seemed like eternity before he was done with her.

The camera shut off, and then resumed once again, this time with the other little girl.

"Come here sweetie."

"Where is sissy, Daddy?"

"She's gone away sweetie."

"Where?"

"You'll see her later."

"Okay!"

"Wanna take a bath with daddy?"

"Okay!"

"Good," came a woman's voice from behind the camera. "Take of your clothes for mommy and daddy. Good girl."

Sephy realized that her mother was holding the camera. He screamed at the man as the little girl was led into the bathroom and stretched his hand towards the screen. The man got into the tub and sat the little girl on his lap before the screams began again. Sephy ran to a nearby trashcan and vomited up his lunch. He hated this. He hated all of it, hated the way people treated each other! Now he could never meet the people he wanted. He could never rely on anyone to be there. How could he trust anyone or hope they would be alive long enough for him to run to them?!

Sephy's heart pounded and he put his little hand over his chest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the screen flicker on again. On the screen he saw a little white kitten. And then... he saw Hojo. Then... a hammer... Then blood. A cry. A final mew. A little white kitten. The kitten he just held. It was right there in his hands. He let Hojo have it! WHY DIDN'T HE HOLD ON TO IT?!

Sephy ran out of the lab at top speed. He didn't make it far though. He collapsed outside of the building, holding his head. A few people started to approach him, but then things around them started to burst into flames. Sephiroth screamed, his head filled with the images and his heart heavy. And there was something else. A voice. A voice in his mind whispering the same thing over and over...

_Kill them... Kill them all... They have no hearts... Kill them..._

When people managed to put the fires out, they found Sephy lying there motionless, staring up at the sky with sorrowful eyes.

* * *

"Vincent?" 

Vincent turned to Sephy with sad eyes and held out his hand.

"Vincent? Is it really you?"

The red-eyed man knelt down and wrapped his arms around him gently.

"Vincent. I don't want to go on. Why didn't you kill me?"

The man's breath hit his hair softly.

"Did any of what I saw happen to you? Any of that torture? What is there to live for?"

Vincent's hand rose and gently slid Sephy's silver hair back behind his ear.

"The more pain you feel," Vincent whispered in his ear, "The more blissful it becomes when you transcend."

Sephy felt Vincent's warmth slipping away and he saw Vincent fading slowly. Vincent's body was so pale and thin now, but still so beautiful. It started to fade right there.

"Don't go!" Sephy cried.

Vincent stood up, his eyes more sad than ever. "Be strong, and do not commit the sins I did in life. I did not transcend. Forgive me..."

Sephy ran to grab Vincent but he fell straight through him. He scrambled up to find Vincent gone.

"NO!" Sephy yelled as he sat up, reaching towards something that wasn't there.

"Shhh," one of the nurses said. "You had a nightmare." She was visibly shaken by his outburst.

"No... he was here!" Sephy said as he looked around frantically.

"No one is here!" the nurse said. "No one came!"

Sephy's glowing green eyes slowly shifted to her, making her uneasy. He slowly slid into bed and closed his eyes, making her even more uneasy since it all happened so quickly. She sighed and walked away. Sephy opened his eyes again after she was gone.

"No one..." he whispered to the dark. "No one came for me..." His green eyes began to glow with more intensity. "No one came for me... and no one waits for me... There is no one I can go to now or ever..." He felt all of his passion and emotion draining away. "No one..."

---To Be Continued---


	8. Honesty

Warning: Violence, sexual situations

**Eternal Fall: part VIII: Honesty**

The next few years were like a blur to Sephy. People hardly saw him outside of training. Some instructors had to make sure he was eating, because he was never spotted at the cafeteria. If at all possible, he remained by himself, not even caring to examine human interaction as he used to.

When he was nine, he gave up hoping that he would ever see Professor Gast again. He slowly started to believe that Gast no longer cared about him, and he also wondered if Gast ever did care about him. Knowing that Gast worked with Hojo didn't help much. But Sephy would always spend time meditating with the materia Gast had given him until he was sure that he had unlocked all of it's secrets. It relaxed him to become one with the materia and feel its warmth and strength.

At age ten, Sephy graduated from high school and moved on to higher learning. He set out to major in biological science, even though he never thought he would be able to become a doctor. He still thought it would be a good idea to have the knowledge of how to help people in some way. It was also this year that he put his materia away and began to study the arts of black and white mages. His instructors told him how pointless these studies were, but he knew that the powers of the mages were real. He didn't want to rely on materia, so he learned to use and magnify his power under a private instructor. Sephy was very surprised that his request was granted, but realized that they would grant anything that turned him into a more effective killer.

At age eleven, multiple tests of Sephy revealed more about how Mako enhancements actually activated many Jenova cells. Some members of the SOLDIER branch without families started to disappear. Rumors stated that some were spotted year Nibelheim. Sephy had little knowledge of the findings that were being gained through experiments on his body. Although he didn't see much room for advancement or purpose in his life anymore, he continued to consent to whatever the ShinRa wanted him to do. After living his whole young life obeying the orders of others, it seemed natural to him.

It was the following year that would not be a blur... but rather, a year that would burn itself into his brain forever...

Sephy didn't know it was his twelfth birthday the day he was summoned to ShinRa headquarters. It had been years since anyone beat him up to signal that a year had passed for him, and he often forgot to keep track himself since he didn't know birthdays were really celebrated. He didn't know that the ShinRa were keeping track of his age in order to examine what tests should be performed to gradually turn him into the ultimate solder. And what he really didn't know was that this year, the experiments would be far from gradual.

Sephy stood up when President ShinRa came into the waiting room and saluted. He knew the president was probably thinking about how short Sephy still was or how much he looked like a girl. These things didn't bother Sephy anymore though.

"Well, it looks like you're at least old enough to do this," President ShinRa muttered.

Sephy said nothing, only stood there quietly.

"Sephiroth, I want you to go down to basement level-F and tell Hojo that I approve of the experiment that you are to be a part of."

"Yes sir, Mr. President!" Sephy said.

"Dismissed," the president said, after handing Sephy a card key.

"Yes sir, Mr. President!"

Sephy turned and left. He headed for the basement level and told Hojo what ShinRa had told him. Hojo only smiled to himself and ordered Sephy to a secluded room. He then told him to undress. Sephy obediently shed all of his clothing and stood there. Suddenly, a large group of men and women entered. Hojo told Sephy not to fight as his wrists were chained above his head. Now Sephy stood there in the middle of the room, helpless and vulnerable. Hojo only smirked and left, but Sephy knew he would be watching from some camera somewhere.

It took a few moments for Sephy to realize that these people weren't scientists or members of the military. They were all wearing lab coats, but there was something different about them.

"My, you're very developed for a twelve year old," one of the women commented slyly.

Sephy blinked as she walked up to him and ran her hands up the sides of his body. She gently slid his long hair away from his chest. "You're growing into a young man much faster than most boys your age."

Sephy continued to remain silent. Suddenly the woman dropped her lab coat to the floor, revealing her nude body. Sephy closed his eyes.

"Why do you shut your eyes?" she asked. "Do you think I'm ugly?"

"No ma'am."

"Then why? Are you being polite?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I want you to open your eyes, Sephiroth."

Sephy obeyed and opened his eyes.

"I want you to look at my body."

Once again, he obeyed.

"Tell me exactly what you're thinking," she said, something dark in her voice.

Sephy looked at her for a few moments before speaking. "Judging by your thin structure, the stretching of the skin at your chest, and the way your breasts defy gravity, I would say that you are using some kind of implanted enhancement. Judging by your bone structure, it would appear that you are underweight, and--"

"That isn't what we mean!" one of the men interrupted, laughing. Many of the others were laughing as well, but the woman Sephy addressed looked furious.

"I apologize," Sephy said, as one of the men undressed as well.

"What do you think of her in terms of sexuality?" one of the other men asked.

Sephy was actually afraid of this question. He glanced at her again and lowered his eyes slightly.

"Look at him too, Sephiroth," one of them said, as the man stood next to her.

Sephiroth looked at both of them, then lowered his eyes again. To his surprise, there was another part of him that wasn't lowering...

"What do you think, Sephiroth?"

"I think... I... I..."

"Do you want either of them?"

"Want them for what, sir?"

"Do you want to have sex? Answer honestly."

Sephy blushed with embarrassment and the glow in his eyes brightened slightly.

"Answer Sephiroth. Have you ever thought about having sex? It is very normal for boys your age. Have you?"

"Yes sir," Sephy said, after much hesitation.

"Oh, we're scaring him," the nude woman said. She slid her fingers under his chin and made him look into her eyes. "It's painful, having these urges, isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Trust me, life would be more focused for you without them. We will help you get rid of them for good. Then you will be a more focused soldier."

Sephy blinked and looked around as all of the people in the room shed their clothes.

"This is for your own good," the woman said. "It is very simple really. If you get aroused, there will be punishment. That way, your body will learn that sexuality is not needed in your life. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Sephy said, not letting on his fear at what they would be doing to him.

The woman pressed her body against his and slowly slid down against him. He suppressed a shiver as her breasts slid down his body, but could not keep himself from nearly jumping five feet in the air when she touched him in a place he knew to be inappropriate. The woman only laughed and wrapped her arms around him, holding him there as she kissed him. Sephy shut his eyes and wished he could be somewhere else. But soon his thoughts drifted to being somewhere else with her. He quickly snapped back to reality and just wished this whole experiment was over with.

"No..." he gasped softly without realizing it. It wasn't that it didn't feel good as she touched him. But there were people watching, and he wanted to be a gentleman to this woman. She pulled away slowly, and he knew something painful would be coming as a punishment. Electricity wouldn't work as well on his body anymore, so they would have to use a lot of force.

That's what the whip was for. A few cracks of the whip calmed the excitement in his body blasted any thought of sex from his mind. His body quickly set to work and healed the injury. But then the woman knelt in front of him and set to work again. Sometimes she would use her hands, and sometimes just her mouth, but each time he became aroused, they would whip him. Then, just to mix things up, they started to beat him as well.

The woman stepped back for a break, and a new type of stimulation was in order. A large man suddenly wrapped his arm around Sephy from behind and whispered for him to relax. But Sephy found that he could hardly relax anymore. He bucked forward as the man's fingers wandered but didn't get far due to the chains. Sephy had no idea what he was feeling, but it scared him.

"Stop," Sephy begged, having no idea what was happening to his body.

"It is for your own good," the man responded. Soon Sephy was ready for another punishment again. The man slowly moved away, and Sephiroth cried out as the whip hit him again. He realized that the whip had some kind of barbs on it, and from the way it burned and lingered, there was probably some kind of chemical as well. Sephy was exhausted, but the man continued stimulating him until it was someone else's turn to experiment.

Sephy was touched in every way possible, but never forced to enter or be entered in an actual sexual encounter. There were also times when he was just forced to watch as the people in the room had sex. Most of the time, his body would betray him, and he would be punished severely for it. He was sent home, bruised and bleeding and absolutely horrified. But he was made to come back week after week for this. Being a good soldier, and not having it in him to lie or make excuses, he always returned.

Soon the experiment started to have dramatic effects on Sephy. Hardly anything they did to him would yield a response. Sometimes it seemed as though something might work, but then his body calmed down quickly. Sephy had no desire to see a naked body or masturbate or have a sexual relationship. He found that when he woke up from a wet dream, he would also wake up screaming as though it were the worst nightmare he had ever experienced.

This experiment continued for six months. And then, it seemed as though there was no chance of the ShinRa ever losing Sephiroth to anyone.

* * *

_How is my poor boy_

"..."

_I know you can hear me... _

"..."

_Not in the mood to talk?_

"..."

_You're upset. You're upset because they won't let you be human._

"..."

_Trust me, it's for the best. Train hard now and good things will come out of it later._

"...Stop it..."

_Stop what?_

"Go be someone else's guardian angel! I want to be alone!"

_But why, dear Sephiroth?_

"Because I hate you! I don't trust you! If you were truly watching out for me none of this would be happening!!!! I just want you to go away! Go away forever!!!!"

_But I can't. Don't you see? I am a part of you. Even when I'm silent, I'm still with you._

"No! Go away! Please! ...Please... I don't want anyone watching. I don't want expectations... I want to have my own life. I want parents and friends and... everything! But now, I just want to be left alone!"

_Become a soldier first and see what happens._

"But... I don't want to hurt anyone! I don't ever want to hurt anyone. It doesn't have to be that way! I know somehow I can stop it all!"

_But you must--_

"I'll tell you what I must do. I must run away."

_But you can't!_

"I'm big enough now. I can!"

_But people's lives are hanging on the line, Sephiroth. If you leave, people will die for it!_

"What?!"

_You belong to the ShinRa. If you escape, countless people will be killed for not being able to stop you. _

"No..."

_I'm sorry. _

"This... will never end..."

* * *

Sephy studied the various battle plans and strategies for a long time. He then looked at the large map on the office wall. All the while, his superiors kept an eye on him. 

"Do you approve?" one of the officers asked finally.

"No sir," Sephy said, as he stared at another chart.

"Why is that?"

"We have too many people massed near the northern entrance to this battlefield," Sephy said, pointing. "One good shot with a long range weapon would cause our forces to scatter. Furthermore, the enemy can easily attack from the mountains here, and wouldn't be easily detected from that distance. There are too many people stationed on the east side as well, considering that there is little chance for the enemy to assemble a good sized group that can function effectively over the terrain that's beyond the entrance to the east side of the battlefield. Many of our soldiers would be more effective guarding the south entrance. Since Mako weapons are new to the battlefield, I wouldn't advise depending on them for a battle of this size. There is a high probability that they will give us an advantage, but that fact is not certain."

His superior officers nodded and spoke amongst themselves. Sephy rubbed his throat, a little annoyed that his voice seemed to crack every now and then when he spoke. They finally looked to him once more.

"Very well done, Sephiroth. You've done better on this test than we could have hoped. Hopefully one day, when you're much older, we'll see you at a command position."

"Thank you, sir."

"Dismissed."

"Sir, yes sir!" Sephy saluted and then exited the office.

He actually felt very good about having passed that test. It was easy for him, and he had passed the previous tests just like it. He had strong doubts that he'd ever be given a command position, but it felt good to prove that he could do something. Even Hojo didn't insult him as much, because he was showing some good results. Of course, Hojo saw it necessary to remind him that he was still far behind most people his age in his studies and his training, but that didn't bother Sephy anymore. Hojo said the only reason he was in classes with so many older people was because they failed to start their studies on time. Sephy began to wonder if that was all a lie. If it was true, why was he the only one of his age there? According to Hojo, it was because this was the only place to station Sephy so he would be close enough to ShinRa Headquarters. And since Sephy had no idea what the rest of the world was like, he had no idea if he was ahead or behind everyone else.

"FIRE!" someone screamed as he approached the barracks.

Sephy looked up to see several older students running out of a building. Smoke started to rise from the windows. It was a matter of seconds before the rest of the large barrack caught on fire. A few more people stumbled out, choking and gasping for air.

"Where is he?" one young man asked.

"I don't know," another yelled. "He set the fire and handcuffed himself to his bed!"

Sephy saw a few more people stumble out, and he could tell there were still people inside from the many worried looks around him. Without giving it a second thought he ran inside. It wasn't until he was deep inside the enormous barrack that he realized that the fire's heat didn't do so much as even tickle his skin. The fire materia in his body automatically started to feed off of the fire, generating a shield of energy around him that extended just far enough to save most of his clothes and hair.

He immediately decided to ponder the odd workings of his body later. He found two people ducking down in the shower. He immediately grabbed their hands and ran through the building, straight to the emergency exit using the safest path possible. He realized that even the heat of the flames were burning them without touching them, and they choked on the smoke. But once outside, they were just happy to be alive. Sephy ran back into the building despite their protests, coughing and gasping for air. His body could protect him from the fire, but not the smoke. He quickly ducked to the floor and held his breath before standing up looking for more people. The barrack was like a giant oven, and his body started to tell him that the heat would soon grow to be enough to kill even him.

_Run, Sephiroth! Leave now!_ came the woman's voice.

"No! If I can't save them no one can!"

_No one is left!_

It seemed that she was right. He couldn't find another soul. But then he heard groaning from a distance. He ran in that direction until he came to a young man who was handcuffed to his bed. Sephy approached him, but the young man shot an angry gaze towards him.

"Get the fuck out of here!" he yelled.

"What are you doing?!" Sephy yelled back.

"Listen kid! You need to mind your own business and get the fuck out!"

"I'll drag you if I have to!"

"For what?!" the young man screamed, tears in his eyes as the bed caught fire. "What the fuck for?! To save my life?! Is that what?! I don't have a life! Got it?! There isn't a damn thing you can do to save me!!!! The fucking ShinRa are using us, kid! Got it?! FUCK THEM! Since I was young, I've had to deal with their shit! We're supposed to serve President ShinRa and these other fuckers?! Well kid, maybe you'd think twice if the president fucked YOU up the ass. FUCK THE SHINRA!"

Sephy couldn't ignore the words, but he knew he couldn't stop moving either. Without thinking he grabbed the handcuffs and snapped the chain with his bare hands. The young man started shrieking as the fire caught him. It was a terrible sound. As if screams and maniacal laugher had mixed. Sephy grabbed him by the wrist and started to pull him, but the young man resisted. He wasn't strong enough to break away from Sephy, but he did manage to invite more flames to engulf him. It wasn't long before Sephy had to let go, because the shrieking ceased, and he was left holding nothing but a charred limb. He finally exited, his head lowered.

He was surrounded by officers as soon as he made it outside. It was as if the whole event inside made him forget himself, because now he was back to reality and gasping for air.

"Arrest him and punish him for starting another fire," one of the men said.

"WHAT?!" Sephy coughed. "But sir, I didn't--" His voice left him when he looked up and found himself staring at a group of Turks.

"Where is the one who really started the fire?" Sephy heard one of them whispering through his powerful hearing.

"Probably dead," another whispered.

"Sephiroth," one of them said. "You are to be arrested for this. Please put your hands behind your head and kneel to the ground."

Suddenly guns were pointed at him from all sides. The Turks were so icy in their blue suits, sunglasses, and with their cold guns.

"You know I didn't start this fire!" Sephy yelled. "You know! Why are you doing this?! I demand an answer before I agree to anything!" Suddenly Sephy grew still. "It's true... What he said... it's true! President ShinRa did hurt him! You're trying to cover up his suicide! You're afraid they'll look for the real reason he killed himself!"

"Shut up!" one of the Turks yelled, drawing his gun like the others.

"No! I will not let you arrest me for murder!"

A crowd was building not far away, but various officers soon moved them away as the firemen worked. The two boys Sephy saved tried to get to him to see what was going on, but they were turned away.

"Come with us quietly or else!" another Turk yelled.

"Or else what?! You'll kill me?! That's better than what you have planned for me otherwise!"

"Or else we'll kill someone else," one of them said. "It's simple, Sephiroth. If you ever fail to cooperate with us, someone dies. Many will die."

Sephy didn't move. The last Turk who spoke only smiled and motioned to an officer in the distance. Suddenly, the one of the young men Sephy saved was let through. He ran to Sephy immediately.

"What's going on?!" the young man panted. "This kid didn't do anything wrong!"

"Oh," said one of the Turks. "But he did." He lifted his gun and shot the young man in the face.

Sephy cried out and caught the young man, but immediately had to look away. He knelt there on the ground with the young man's head on his lap. Blood rushed all around.

"Now, Sephiroth," the Turk said, putting his gun away. "You are to be arrested for setting this fire and killing the soldier inside. You are also to be charged with killing this boy for trying to speak out against you. It looks like some jail time is in order, eh?"

Sephy shook with rage. He knew there would be various beatings and other painful punishments for this. But nothing hurt more than seeing the dead young man in his arms.

"Oh yes," said the man. "Make that three charges."

Sephy's head snapped up to see the second boy he saved running over to him. He screamed for the boy to run away, but the bullet had already been fired. And in the distance, the fire rose, mirroring Sephy's anger and despair.

---To Be Continued---


End file.
